


Unbroken Fury

by PepitasdeOro



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, King Stannis Baratheon, M/M, R Plus L Equals J, Rare Pairings, Stannis the Mannis, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:40:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 20
Words: 57,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23741689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PepitasdeOro/pseuds/PepitasdeOro
Summary: AU where Stannis Baratheon is sent to Sunspear instead of Jon Arryn to negotiate the peace with the Martells after Robert's Rebellion. What will this little change in history mean for the future of Westeros?
Relationships: Stannis Baratheon/Arianne Martell
Comments: 81
Kudos: 151





	1. Davos I

Sunspear 284 A.C.

The city of Sunspear glimpsed on the horizon as _Fury_ , the royal fleet's flagship approached the port. It was not the first time Davos had seen the city, as he had been there on several occasions during his smuggling years.

 _Those years are behind_ us, Davos thought. _Now I'm a knight of the Seven Kingdoms, I can't keep thinking about my years as a criminal._ Stannis Baratheon had knighted him a year ago, when he brought his shipment of onions to the besieged Storm’s End, although due to his years as a criminal, he amputated the first phalanx of the fingers of his left hand. _A_ _fair payment for the future he’s given me and my family._ Once Eddard Stark lifted the siege and the Tyrells lay down their swords, Davos accompanied his new lord to the siege of Dragonstone, in search of the last Targaryen as ordered by Robert, the new king of the Seven Kingdoms after the death of the Mad King, but they came too late. After the failure, Robert ordered Stannis to go to Dorne, the last of the kingdoms that still supported the Targaryens to seek peace with Prince Doran.

 _"Get me peace with Dorne. Don't fail me again after letting the dragon spawns escape,"_ the king had told his brother.

And here he was, accompanying his lord on a new mission. _I hope that after this I can see Marya and the children again, I haven't seen them in over a year, if they don't cut off our heads as soon as we disembark, that is._ Prince Doran was furious at the death of his sister, Princess Elia Martell, and her two children in the sacking of the capital by the Lannisters and there were rumors that his brother, Prince Oberyn, planned a Dorne lift in arms and crown Viserys Targaryen.

The helmsman gave the order to slow down the ship as they approached the port. An imposing figure approached his side as the ship docked at the port. This was Stannis Baratheon, the new lord of Dragonstone.

"What is your impression Ser Davos?" commented Stannis in a grave voice. The king's brother was a tall man with dark blue eyes, black hair like his brother, albeit with a noticiable receding hairline and the shadow of a beard.

"About what, my lord?" replied Davos confusedly.

"On peace with the Martells. Do you think it's possible to get it after what happened in the sack of King’s Landing?" said Stannis by poking his gaze into Davos.

"Prince Doran is interested in peace, he will not risk opposing the rest of the kingdom now that the Tyrells have sworn allegiance to King Robert. Besides, what happened to Princess Elia was the fault of the Lannisters, not your brother’s."

"I hope you are right in your assumptions, or else the kingdom will not find peace in decades. After all, Dorne has never been conquered, even dragons could not subdue it.

 _The Fury_ eventually docked at the port and upon their arrival they were received by a Dornish entourage.

"Greetings, my lords" greeted the leader of the entourage in a mocking tone, a high and slender salt dornishman with a red coat in the wind and a round shield with the image of a spear crossing a sun, the coat of arms of house Martell. "We saw your flag and my brother ordered me to come to meet you on his behalf. It is a pleasure to welcome you to Sunspear." _So, this is the famous Red Viper…_

Davos had only heard of Prince Oberyn Martell, but his reputation was terrifying. _Certainly, a statement of intent on the part of Prince Doran._ _This negotiation is going to be tougher than I imagined_. Davos touched the bag that hung from his neck, where he kept the bones of his closed phalanxes.

"I am Lord Stannis Baratheon, I hoped to speak with your brother as soon as possible to discuss a peace agreement so that Dorne will return to the king's peace."

"Wow, you're much less talkative than your brother. It's true what they say about you being just the opposite of him. I met him in Harrenhal, you know? I never imagined it would be someone like him who would bring the end of the Targaryen dynasty. My brother is waiting for you at the Old Palace, Lord Stannis."

Stannis was annoyed by Prince Oberyn's mocking tone, Davos noticed when he saw his teeth grinding, a bad habit quite common in the young lord. Compared to King's Landing or the free cities, Sunspear was nothing more than a village, but it was the closest thing the dornish had to a city. The Triple Gate was open to allow newcomers to pass directly to the Old Palace without having to cross the rest of the city. The journey to the palace passed without much fuss beyond the people swirling around him as they saw Prince Oberyn pass by.

Seeing Stannis not attempting to engage in conversation, Davos tried to cut the ice and try to gain Oberyn's sympathy before they met Prince Doran.

"Prince Oberyn, we have brought with us the bones of Princess Elia and her children, as well as those of your Uncle Lewyn Martell."

"I thank you, but unless you also bring the Mountain’s and Tywin Lannister’s bones with them, I doubt my brother's wrath or mine will be placated. Who are you, by the way?" replied Oberyn Martell visibly annoyed.

"Davos!" he retorted, forgetting for a moment his new title, "Ser Davos Seaworth my lord."

"Ah, the famous Onion Knight. Here in Dorne we don't usually reward smugglers with titles like yours, Ser Davos.

"I think you're confused, my lord, I was rewarded for helping Storm’s End garrison when they were starving, and Lord Stannis has already punished me for my past crimes," Davos replied as they advanced through the city.

"Death to the Usurper!" shrieked suddenly a man from one of the balconies.

"To the spears! Revenge for Princess Elia!" joined others.

 _They're less than I_ expected, Davos observed. They seemed just annoying noises compared to the silence in which the city was wrapped. Prince Doran had initially been reluctant to send troops to fight for the Mad King after Rhaegar Targaryen insulted Princess Elia by naming Lyanna Stark Queen of Love and Beauty in Harrenhal and then kidnapping and raping her but ended up ceding and now many parents and husbands would never return to their families. _The city_ _is in mourning._

The last of the gates was closed behind them once the castle walls passed. Prince Doran waited on the courtyard along with what looked like much of his court. Davos noticed that next to him was a woman with features indicating that she was clearly not from Dorne, not even from Westeros. Davos was curious about her presence but dared not ask for fear of saying some stupidity, since he did not yet know most of the nobility of Westeros. Next to him were a plump girl and a boy who would not exceed the age of Matthos, the youngest of his three children. From the look of her face, the girl seemed to have had the red spot disease not so long ago. Next to them was a tall and burly man with black hair and a leafy beard, although gray hairs were already beginning to catch a glimpse. In addition, he wielded an imposing halberd. _What's a_ bearded _priest from Norvos doing here?_ wondered Davos uneasy. If there was a bearded priest here, that would indicate that the woman next to Prince Doran was probably Norvoshi.

The entourage stopped and both Davos and the rest went out. It was the first time Davos had accompanied Lord Stannis to see a great lord, so he did not know very well whether to accompany him or wait with the twenty guards who had come with them from King's Landing. His doubts were resolved when Stannis pointed him in with a slight movement of his head to follow him.

"Lord Stannis!" said Prince Doran. "I am pleased to welcome you to Dorne. These are my children Arianne and Quentyn, and this is my wife, Mellario. You arrived earlier than expected, we didn't expect your arrival for at least a couple of days."

"The winds have been propitious to us, Prince Doran, " replied Stannis.

"Unfortunately, you have not given us time to prepare your quarters or those of your guard. You will have some rooms ready in the Tower of the Sun as soon as possible. Your guard can settle into the Sandship for the time being if you wish."

"I thank you for your hospitality. I think the sooner we can deal with the matter at hand, the better for everyone."

"Yes..." answered the weary prince. "It will be best. Accompany me to my quarters, we will be more comfortable there."

The prince began the journey into the palace, followed by Lord Stannis and the rest of those present, who gradually dispersed. Davos also thought of retiring until Lord Stannis called him.

"You come too Ser Davos; I’m going to need someone to advise me in these negotiations."

"Ah, Ser Davos Seaworth, " said Doran Martell. "I've heard of you. I suppose going from dealing with thieves to dealing with nobles will have brought you a sudden change."

"Not as much as my lord imagines, the truth is that in that aspect, my life hasn't changed much." Davos quietly shut up. _Damn, I can't_ say _these things in the presence of the prince of Dorne._ _I'm not in Flea_ _Bottom anymore._ His fear however was mitigated when Oberyn Martell burst into such a laugh that even his brother sketched a slight smile.

"Is it true that you defeated the entire army of The Reach with just five hundred men, Lord Stannis?" suddenly asked Princess Arianne. Her mother looked at her with the intention of rebuking her, but the little princess kept looking at Stannis curiously. He was surprised by the sudden question, though he kept his face impassive. Davos noticed, however, a slight change in his gaze, although he could not identify what it meant.

"I just stopped them from taking Storm’s End. I don't think I can say I defeated them," Stannis replied.

"But they gave up, didn't they? That means you beat them," the princess continued. "You must be an amazing warrior."

"Ahem, well..." said Stannis hesitantly.

"We have arrived, my lords, " cut Prince Doran. "Arianne, go with your mother and brother to play, you'll have time to ask Lord Stannis all the questions you want later. Areo, keep an eye on the door, please, don't let anyone bother us." The bearded priest struck the ground with the handle of his halberd and stepped aside following the prince's orders.

Once inside the prince's quarters, they sat in front of a long table. Their seats were padded with colorful cushions and on the table were placed different Dornish dishes, along with four glasses, a jug of wine and another of water. Prince Doran's room was full of silks and Davos observed some jewels whose value he dared not calculate. Davos had only seen such luxuries in the _Valkyrie,_ the galley of Salladhor Saan, a pirate for which he had worked several times, but unlike Sallladhor, Davos assumed that the Martells had not obtained them after looting multiple merchant ships in the Stepstones.

"Eat my lords, let it not be said that the laws of hospitality are not enforced in Sunspear, " said Prince Doran as they sat down. Davos took a piece of bread, just like Stannis did. He knew how spicy Dornish food could be and didn't want to do anything that might embarrass his liege.

"Anyway, Lord Stannis, I'll be as direct as possible. As I'm sure you know, nearly ten thousand Dornish soldiers lost their lives in the Trident fighting for the Mad King. For me all Dornish lives are very precious to me and I would prefer that this conflict between us ended without further bloodshed, " began Doran Martell.

"I'm glad to hear that, in that case..." Stannis replied.

"I'm not done yet, " cut off the prince. "While I would like to end this war once and for all, you will understand that the acts committed by your brother and his Lannister allies against my family complicate it greatly. Do you know how my sister and nephews died, Lord Stannis? I would like to know if the rumors that are told are true."

"I was being besieged in Storm’s End when it happened," Stannis replied. "But I have seen the bones of your sister and her children, which makes me think that what is said it’s true."

"I told you brother!" squealed Oberyn Martell. “We cannot make peace with Robert Baratheon when he rewards our sister's killer by making his daughter queen. I say we send his brother's crushed head to King's Landing, so he sees how it feels," he continued, pointing to Stannis.

Doran Martell raised a hand shut up his brother. Prince Oberyn turned so red with fury that it looked like he was going to burst at any moment.

"I have just offered our hospitality to our guests. They will not be harmed as long as they are under my roof," Doran said. "However, he has no shortage of reasons to be angry and neither do I" he sentenced looking at them coldly. "What does the new king intend to do to give us justice?"

Davos wondered for the umpteenth time since they had landed what they were doing there. He did not question the king's orders, but he kept wondering if it would not have been better to send someone better to negotiate peace. Lord Stannis was faithful to his brother, but cold, dry and not at all charismatic, not at all a person anyone would send to negotiate. On the other hand, Davos was nothing more than a smuggler, surely another lord might have a better option to come to advise Stannis instead of him, he did not know how to speak to other lords.

"I don't think he is going to do anything, " answered Stannis, sighing. "I'm afraid your sister’s murder seemed like an act of justice to my brother, in his distorted vision of it. The only thing I think he regrets is not killing Rhaegar's children with his bare hands."

"This is problematic," Doran said, rubbing his forehead with his hands. "I didn't expect him to give me Lord Tywin's head, but I did expect the Clegane’s head at least. What do you offer us then?"

Stannis thoughtfully crouched his head and saw his face darken and then Davos knew. _Nothing._ _Stannis can't offer anything to quell the wrath of the_ _Martells. Not only can't he give them the revenge they want, but he can't do anything to make it up for them either. His hands are tied._ And then Davos came up with an idea.

"A marriage, " Davos proposed. "A union between the two houses will guarantee peace between Dorne and the Iron Throne." Doran and Stannis looked at him perplexed while the _Red Viper_ choked on the wine he was drinking.

"Explain Ser Davos, what exactly do you propose?" asked Doran curiously.

"A marriage between the heir to the throne and your daughter. Or maybe between your son Quentyn and a future daughter of King Robert if it suits you better. _A marriage to the_ _king's firstborn is something the Martells can hardly refuse. It will be difficult to convince the king to marry one of his descendants with a Martell, but Lord Arryn may be able to do so._

"It's a tempting offer Ser Davos" replied the prince by weighing his answer. "I've heard that Robert has already fathered several bastards in the Vale, so I imagine that sooner or later there will be a little princess Quentyn could marry. However, I don't like to make assumption-based plans, so it's best to promise Arianne. I will lay down my conditions, if you do not accept them, there will be no marriage between you, Lord Stannis, and my daughter."

Now it was Davos' turn to be surprised. _Stannis, but I meant..._ Suddenly Davos understood. He had proposed that Doran's daughter marry Robert's future heir, that is, his first child. But the prince had misunderstood him and believed that he was referring to the current heir, Stannis, the eldest of the king's brothers.

"The wedding will only take place once Arianne has flowered, and since it is my heiress, your future children will bear the Martell name and grow up in Dorne. Only if any of your children receive any inheritance from you will he be able to bear the Baratheon name" Doran continued. "Only then will I accept this marriage."

Only at that moment did Davos realize what he had provoked. Stannis would rule Dorne, but only in name, for it would be his future wife who held power and, also, his children would not bear his name, which was a disgrace to a lord. _Stannis won't accept. For him it would be a greater humiliation than he suffered after_ receiving _Dragonstone instead of Storm’s End._

"I think they're acceptable conditions. If we can draft the marriage pact now, then I will be able to return to King's Landing to inform His Majesty as soon as possible” before Davos' disbelief.

"I'm glad to hear it. Oberyn, go get Maester Caleotte to write it." Oberyn Martell left the room and by his face Davos sensed that he was as confused by the development of events as he was. "Lord Stannis, Ser Davos, I hope you will accompany us with your presence at tonight's banquet. For lasting peace," the prince said as he raised his glass to toast.

"For peace" Stannis and Davos provided, though something in his heart told him that peace in the kingdom would not last long.


	2. Areo I

**Areo I**

Areo Hotah could not remember how long had been since a banquet such as this was held in the palace. _Probably since the birth of Prince Quentyn._ Then it was when the war and tragedies came to his lord's house. Areo still remembered the day the crow arrived with the news of the sack of King's Landing and what had happened to the prince's sister and nephews. The prince cried for countless hours and neither his wife nor the little princess could do anything to comfort him. The next day, he stayed into his room from sunrise to sunset without receiving any visitors or talking to anyone. The prince's brother, on the other hand, disappeared for a little over a week. It was Areo himself who had to pick him up and take him back to the palace when he found him totally drunk at the entrance of one of the city's taverns. According to Ellaria Sand, the prince's new lover, he had gone through the mourning drinking from tavern to tavern, fighting anyone who dared to speak to him or look at him badly.

Areo had only seen the prince's sister on two occasions since she married Prince Rhaegar. The first, when her daughter Rhaenys was born. She was very weak due to childbirth, but still treated them with the same kindness that she had had, although Areo noticed some sadness in her voice at that time. The last time he saw her was in Harrenhal, when he accompanied Prince Doran to the tournament. The Princess Elia who he saw there looked nothing like the one that had received him in Sunspear when he came with her lady, Lady Mellario, many years ago. It seemed that all the happiness she had, had left her, and that she could have burst into tears at any moment. But she didn't. Even when Rhaegar crowned Lyanna Stark with blue roses she stood there with dignity. Areo regretted that this war his last memory of her. The prince did not come to see her after the birth of her second child, as she was said to be so weak that she could have died at any time, so her husband forbade anyone from seeing her except the maesters who treated her. Barely a few months later, the rebellion broke out.

He passed his hand over the smooth handle of his halberd, his iron wife, while observing those present. He watched his lord as he talked to his brother. He watched Lord Stannis Baratheon and his onion knight, sitting at the honor table next to the little princess. He watched the ladies, the lords, the servants, the senescal and the maester Caleotte. Hidden on one side of the room, next to the main table, he watched them all.

 _Serve. Protect. Obey_. That was his mission.

Lady Mellario was not present, however. That same evening she had had a heated argument with the prince regarding the marriage he had just arranged between the little princess and Lord Stannis. Areo had heard it all while he was on duty at the door. Lady Mellario had accused her husband of selling her daughter as cattle, arranging her marriage to a man who was ten years older than her when she was just a girl just for sealing the peace. Although Areo understood that in Westeros arranged marriages for children were the order of the day in order to create pacts and alliances, that was not the case in Norvos, where both he and the prince's wife came from. Areo had also struggled to get used to the customs of Westeros, though not as much as his mistress. She continued to shave from head to toe, as dictated by the norvoshi tradition, although when she was in public she used to wear a wig, which was a cause of mockery from many in the court, although none dared to do so in the presence of Prince Doran. Moreover, she still had a hard time speaking the common language of Westeros, as well as understanding it, so, in intimacy, she and the prince used to communicate in High Valyrian. Areo also sometimes struggled to understand the language, although the bearded priests had taught him before sending him with Lady Mellario, but in Dorne they spoke so quickly that he often struggled to follow the conversations. Areo didn't quite know what to think about the little princess' marriage. It's not that it was up to him to do it, that was for other people. _The prince orders and Hotah obeys._

He looked again at Lord Stannis. The king's brother sat between Princess Arianne and Sir Davos. Although he was young, he didn't seem very energetic, he ate little and drank even less. In fact, he hadn't tried the wine he'd been served yet. He was tall, as tall as he was and broad-shouldered. He dressed austerely, with a gray-toned doublet without any embellishment beyond a cloak. He seemed fit, but he still did not seem to have fully recovered from the siege he had been subjected to during the war. _This man is a fighter,_ Hotah thought, _but he_ _doesn't look like a great warrior._ The man sitting next to him seemed even less so. From what he had heard, Ser Davos had been a smuggler before he was knighted by Stannis Baratheon and, he looked the same as if a man from the city outskirts had been taken out of his house and put to dinner at the prince of Dorne's table. In that moment, he seemed to be telling the little princess one of his stories of when he was a smuggler and every time he said something he looked at Lord Stannis for fear of saying something stupid. The little princess did not seem to realize the situation and kept insisting that Ser Davos tell her stories and listened to him, lost in thought as if she could imagine herself sailing on a little boat avoiding patrols in the dark of the night.

From time to time the little princess also addressed some question to Lord Stannis, but this one was much shorter with the answers than the Onion Knight. Still, the little princess kept insisting on both of them with her questions and kept smiling. The young Arianne had always liked to be told stories of brave knights and great adventures, but the closest thing to a great knight the princess had in her surroundings was her uncle Oberyn, and he used to be absent for long periods of time. Besides, he hadn't participated in the war, so meeting someone who had done it must be quite an experience for the young girl.

The banquet lasted until after midnight. All kinds of dishes were served: wild boar with typical Dorne hot peppers, tomato soup, pies stuffed with ham, onion and veal, and many other dishes. When they served the dessert, caramelized onions on smoked deer meat, Lord Stannis clenched his jaw and glanced at the prince for a long look at him to see if they were laughing at him. He didn't seem to notice, but his brother did.

"Surely it was a joke from the cook, Lord Stannis, " remarked Oberyn. "Don't take it the wrong way. You'll have to get used to these kinds of jokes when you live here."

 _He finds this place strange_. He will also have to get used to it, just as Hotah had to when he came to this land. When he arrived in Dorne, he couldn't even eat the food without a knot in his guts. In that sense, Lord Stannis did not seem to have that problem, for he had tried all the dishes without squealing, no matter how spicy and Hotah had not noticed even a single drop of sweat on his face.

The little princess had been a little confused about her uncle's comment, and she kept asking Lord Stannis and her father what he meant, although she seemed very excited to be able to continue her interrogation of the young lord at the prospect that he would live in Dorne in the future. She was not the only one who had been confused with that statement by Prince Oberyn, as Prince Oberyn's mistress, Ellaria, asked him curiously what he meant, although the prince avoided answering the question with an ingenious comment. Others present who had heard the prince's comment had also begun to murmur among themselves and soon the gossip spread throughout the feast.

The murmurs were silenced when Prince Doran rose to propose a toast.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let us drink to the health of King Robert, the first of his name, king of the Andals, the Rhonyar and the first men, and lord of the Seven Kingdoms."

The servants had begun to move among the guests as the prince spoke, filling the glasses with a strong and sweet Dornish wine. The captain didn't drink, he never did at banquets. Neither did many of those present, many of whom had lost a family member or friend during the rebellion. Lord Stannis did drink, albeit very little, like Ser Davos, Prince Doran and his brother. Even the little princess drank, although she was served very little wine because of her youth. Hotah looked more at those who didn't drink, because if there was a problem, surely it would be one of them who started it.

 _And now, the icing on the cake_. Prince Doran repeatedly struck the cup with which he had just toasted with a teaspoon to silence those present. Hotah, for his part, firmly grabbed his halberd, preparing for the worst.

"I'm sure many of those present will have been surprised by this toast. Despite how much it hurts and no matter how much I want revenge for my sister's death, Dorne must return to the king's peace. My people have suffered enough," the prince said. "That is why I have decided to accept the peace proposal that Lord Stannis has brought me here. The king will grant a general amnesty to all who fought for the Mad King and Dorne will retain the privileges it had within the Seven Kingdoms. In addition, to seal this peace, Lord Stannis has agreed to marry my daughter Arianne when she becomes a woman, and rule at her side as a consort when she rules Dorne."

Those present were silent for a few moments as they assimilated the prince's words. His worst fears were abandoned when the entire room erupted in cheers and applause over the new alliance, causing Aero to relax his grip on the halberd. He knew most of those cheers weren't sincere, but at least they wouldn't cause any trouble. The little princess had thrown herself into her father's arms and gave him a couple of kisses, one on each cheek, while he gently hugged her. Afterwards, he did the same with Lord Stannis despite the latter's visible discomfort when she did. His hands did not move from the table and by his pale face it looked as if he had been hugged by death herself, although he blushed a little when the little princess gave him a rogue kiss on the lips.

One of the few who did not seem enthusiastic about the union was Daemon Sand, the young squire of Prince Oberyn, who was friends with the little princess since they started playing together in the Water Gardens and one did not have to be too bright to know how he felt about her. Anger covered his face as he headed for the main table amid the hustle and bustle of the crowd. Hotah reacted quickly and he grabbed his forearm tightly when he stepped near him. He did not appear to carry any kind of weapon, but Hotah did not lower his guard. After all, the boy was the _Red Viper's_ squire.

"Let me go, Hotah!" roared the angry boy. "I have to talk with the prince."

"Prince Doran has asked that neither he nor any of his guests be disturbed at the banquet," Areo replied with a hoarse voice and a strong norvoshi accent. "Please go back to your table."

"I'm not going to let the princess marry that man. He's the Usurper's brother, he shouldn't be welcomed here."

"Prince Doran has ordered no harm to be done to him. And I do as my lord commands me."

"Any trouble with my squire, Captain?" said Prince Oberyn, who had appeared behind the young Daemon. _I'm getting old_. Oberyn Martell could be stealthy when he wanted it, but a few years ago Areo would never have been caught by surprise by him.

"Tell the captain to let me go," Daemon replied as he tried to get out of Hotah's grip. "I will not let Arianne marry that man, my lord. I intend to challenge him to a duel for her hand, he will not reject it in the midst of so many witnesses."

Oberyn Martell let out a laugh when he heard that. "You won't do any of that, brat. I thought I taught you not to get into fights you couldn't win."

"I don't need to beat him. If I bathe my weapons with one of the poisons you taught me, I'll just need to make him a little wound for ..."

Oberyn slapped the boy, shutting him up and left his cheek red like a tomato. "In the event that you get away with it, boy, you'd provoke war between Dorne and the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. Have you thought about what would happen to your father, who is captive in King's Landing? ... Besides, you could never marry her boy, she's a princess, and you, a bastard, in case you'd forgotten. If she were one of my daughters you might have had a chance, but she's the heiress to Sunspear, you'll never be good enough for her."

The boy looked to the ground resignedly and tried to make one last effort to try to let go, though to no avail.

"Leave him captain, I'll take care of him," said Oberyn, who took the boy with him out of the room.

After the banquet came the ball. Prince Doran danced with his daughter three or four times, and so did Prince Oberyn when he returned to the room, though he did so without his squire. Ser Davos also danced with the little girl a couple of times and even her fiancé danced with her, although Hotah found that he did it rather out of obligation, as he did not dance with anyone else before retiring to his quarters. The prince retired soon after, followed by his daughter and Hotah. When he put the young woman to bed, Hotah accompanied his lord to his quarters.

"I have just promised my daughter to the brother of the man whose actions led my sister, mi niece and my nephew to death," the prince murmured. "With this I have prevented thousands of Dornish from losing their lives prolonging a futile war. Tell me, do you think I did the right thing?"

"It's not for me to say," replied Hotah. "But he doesn't look like a bad man. The little princess seemed very happy". Anyway, Hotah could be wrong. He has never been especially good in judging people beyond their combat capabilities.

"I don't think she fully realizes whom she is going to marry."

"If my lord so desires, he just has to give me the order and Hotah will take care of Lord Baratheon."

"That won't be necessary, captain. For now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is another chapter. The next one will be in King's Landing and we'll see how the Small Council took the news coming from Sunspear.
> 
> Thank you all for the comments and kudos, it's really appreciated. I also corrected a couple of mistakes in the first chapter.
> 
> Thanks again for checking this out and we'll see each other in the next chapter.


	3. The Hand of the King

**The Hand of the King**

Jon Arryn, lord of the Eyrie and Hand of King Robert I Baratheon, listened wearily as the Grand Maester Pycelle read the letter that had arrived in a crow from Sunspear that morning. Jon Arryn was almost sixty years old and that, coupled with the immense responsibility of being King Robert's most important adviser, made him extremely tired, and much more so that morning he had had to get up early unexpectedly.

The king had summoned them as soon as he heard the news, perhaps in the secret hope that the negotiations would have failed and would have to go to war against Dorne. Robert often boasted that he would conquer Dorne in one fell swoop, unlike the Targaryen kings who tried and failed in their conquest of the arid kingdom. _Robert has always liked war more than ruling._ However, despite Robert's wishes, it seemed that his brother had managed to achieve peace with the Martells.

"... and the children of this union will bear the name Nymerios Martell, but if any of them receive inheritance and land from their father, they will be able to take the name Baratheon, thus renouncing their rights over Dorne," the Grand Maester Pycelle continued in a tired voice. He was a bald old man with a thick grey beard that he liked to caress. "Written in the eyes of the gods and men under Stannis of house Baratheon's sign and seal and that of Doran of house Nymerios Martell", he concluded by leaving the letter on the council table so that all members could read it. The long chain that the maester was wearing around his neck jingled when he sat down again.

It was one of those less and less frequent days when the whole Small Council was assembled, including the king. Robert Baratheon presided over the Small council's table, a seat that used to be empty more often than not. Jon, as befits the Hand of the King, was sitting next to him. Next to them were the Grand Maester Pycelle; Lord Varys, the Master of Whispers, who had managed to maintain his post after the rebellion; Ser Barristan Selmy, the new commander of the Kingsguard, who had also been forgiven after the rebellion, sat next to him. There was also Eldon Estermont, the king's uncle and Master of Laws, although Robert planned to replace him with his younger brother Renly when he came of age. Finally, there was Ser Harys Swift, the Master of Coin. _A man from the Lannisters._ Jon was convinced that Pycelle also secretly served Tywin Lannister's interests, though he concealed it better than Ser Harys. _I have to find a replacement for him somehow or the Lannisters will end up having more power in court than they had at the time Tywin Lannister was Hand of The King for the Mad King._

The only one missing from the council was the king's other brother, Stannis, the new lord of Dragonstone and Master of Ships, and yet he was more present than ever.

"What do you mean they'll bear the name Martell?" asked the king as he drinked a glass of wine. "Why?"

"It's common in Dorne for children to belong to the mother's house, Robert," Jon replied. _I explained it to him a dozen times when he was my ward, but he never paid too much attention._ "According to Dornish law women inherit in the same condition as men, so Doran Martell's daughter is Dorne's heiress and the prince will want the Martell house to continue to rule Dorne after his death."

"Bah!" spat Robert with contempt. "Stannis has always liked to follow orders without squealing, I'm sure he didn't even try to oppose him. Anyway, answer Prince Doran that we give the bethrodal our blessing. Any other business?"

"Perhaps we should consider this marriage more thoroughly," Ser Estermont said. "The Martells have been loyal allies of the Targaryens for decades and with this pact a Martell could be the next lord of Dragonstone, which would pose a fair danger at the gates of the capital."

"Are you questioning your nephew's loyalty, my lord?" asked Jon in disbelief. He knew there was no great love among the Baratheon brothers, but Stannis had fought on Robert's side during the war and had been about to starve for it.

"I do not question his loyalty, but that of their future children. They will be bred in a viper's nest as is Dorne, surely the Martell will turn them against the crown."

_What does he intend to gain by questioning Stannis? He's his nephew, he should be one of those who will support him the most._

"It's certainly a worrying problem, your grace," Ser Harys added. "With two Targaryens still alive, having Dragonstone in the hands of the Martells is a danger."

"Your grace, the wisest thing would be to revoke the lordship over Dragonstone from Lord Stannis after his marriage and give it to a loyal family to the crown or to your heir, as tradition has been for centuries," the Grand Maester said in his hoarse voice. _To the Lannisters you mean, Pycelle._ He didn't know why Robert and Stannis' uncle had decided to support the Lannisters in this matter, but he was sure Tywin Lannister's hand was behind it.

"Stannis is the king's heir, in case you have forgotten," Jon interrupted. "It may be years before the king has a son."

"Ha, ha, ha" laughted Robert. "Don't be so sure about that, Jon. Tell him Pycelle"

"Her grace Queen Cersei came to see me a few days ago and, after examining her, I can confirm that she is pregnant. Soon we will be able to celebrate the arrival of a new prince or princess," said the Grand Maester.

Jon was puzzled at the sudden news of the queen's pregnancy. The rest of those present feigned surprise and offered their congratulations to the king, but his intuition told Jon that they were already aware of the news long before Pycelle said so. _Why am I the last to hear this news?_ _By the gods, I am the Hand of the King!_

"I'm glad to hear that splendid news, your grace. I'm sure you'll have a strong, healthy son" Jon said without yet coming out of his astonishment.

"By the gods Jon, enough of your grace and so many formalities! You and I are something much closer than a king and his hand," Robert said laughing. "As for my son, of course he will be strong, I have begat him after all! I'm sure in a few years I'll be able to fill the court just with my children alone."

"Now that I think about it Jon..." Robert continued as he stroked his beard. "Wouldn't it be wonderful to hold a tournament for the birth of my son? I want the whole kingdom to come, from the Wall to Dorne! It will be even more impressive than Harrenhal's. May the winner receive a hundred thousand golden dragons, and half of that for the second and the winner of the melee and thirty thousand for the winner of the archery tournament."

Jon looked at him overwhelmed. It wouldn't be a year since Robert held a similar tournament in honor of his wedding to Cersei Lannister and soon before another for his proclamation as king, so the royal treasure had not yet recovered from the expenses they incurred. _Only with the tournament prizes and the expenses necessary to carry out the treasure could be practically empty._ _Holding a tournament like this so soon could bankrupt the crown._ _It's crazy._

"Robert, I think the awards are too excessive. If we reduced them by half at least..."

"No! The birth of my son must be the most important event the kingdom has ever seen. I won't spare expense! Spend what it takes from the treasure and if there's not enough, ask Tywin Lannister. He paid for my wedding so I'm sure he'll pay for his grandson's tournament."

"Surely, we will be able to find the gold to carry it out, your grace. Don't worry," Ser Harys said in a carefree tone. _That's what he says whenever Robert gets to hold a new tournament. I have to put someone I trust in that position soon or it'll lead us to ruin._

"Your grace" said Lord Estermont. "If we can go back to the theme of your brother and the Dornish..."

"Ah, yes. There's nothing to worry about, my lords, Stannis will do as I command," Robert said carefree. "In five years, when she marries that Dornish bitch, she'll give up Dragonstone and give it to my son. I'm sure he'll thank me, he keeps complaining about me giving him that damn island, and now he's going to have one of the Seven Kingdoms for him alone."

_Stannis is not going to take this well when he returns from Sun_ spear, Jon Arryn thought. He had already been really angry with Robert when he appointed Renly as Lord of Storm's End instead of him.

"Well" said Robert as he rose from his seat. "If there are no more urgent matters that require my attention, I have other matters to attend to. Jon, you take care of the rest."

Truth be told, the small council meeting had only just began, but by the time Jon wanted to react Robert had already left the room while Sir Barristan was on his heels.

"Who will inform Lord Stannis of the news when he returns?" said Varys in his soft voice as he let out a giggle. The burdens of perfume that the eunuch released could be smelled all over the room.

"I think we'll soon have to call him Prince Stannis, or Prince Consort Stannis at least," Ser Harys said, laughing. "Besides, you can't be Lord without owning land, can you?"

"Well, you keep calling me Lord Varys, don't you? And not only do I not own lands, I am a eunuch, after all, but I do not even belong to a noble house."

"Members of the king's council have always been treated with the title of Lord since King Aegon I the Conqueror formed this noble institution," Pycelle said. "If only as a token of respect."

"Then Ser Eldon and myself should also be treated as Lords, shouldn't we?" replied Sir Harys.

"What? Well... Yes... I guess you're right in that regard... Lord Harys" replied Pycelle hesitantly.

_I'm not going to call one of Tywin Lannister's lackeys Lord in my life,_ Jon thought. _Let alone that one_.

"I will inform my nephew of the king's decision as soon as he returns to the capital" Ser Eldon said, clearly wanting to finish this council as soon as possible. _He also begins to notice age and tiredness,_ thought Jon resigned. _I still have to find out how Ser Harys learned about the content of the letter before me or how he was able to convince Estermont to remove Dragonstone from his own nephew._ He suspected that Pycelle had been the one to inform them before, but still the stamp of the letter seemed intact. He had to find a way to reduce the power of the Lannisters in court. Pycelle could not be cast out, for this it was necessary for the masters of the Citadel to hold a conclave to choose a new one, and they did not usually do so unless the current Grand Maester had died or in extraordinary circumstances. In addition, a new Grand Maester could be perfectly another Lannister server. _I'm sure Lord Tywin has contacts in Oldtown_.

"Anyway, if we're done with this, we can focus on how we're going to pay for the new tournament..." Jon said.

The council meeting lasted until late noon and there were times when Jon thought Ser Eldon and the Grand Maester had fallen asleep in their sit. He also felt very tired and a part of him wanted to return to the Eyrie with his new wife and rest now that the war was finally over. But Robert had named him Hand of the King and could not leave his former pupil alone in this viper's nest, he wanted Robert as if he were his own son.

_I have to find someone to replace Harys Swift. That man is only loyal to the Lannisters, and if he continues to lead the finances, he'll ruin us all_. Once he could place a loyal man as Master of Coin and Lord Renly replaced his uncle on the council, perhaps he could resign his position as Hand of the King and leave it to someone younger and more energetic. _Lord Stannis has always wanted this position. Or maybe Ned may want it, if he ever reconciles with Robert_. Jon couldn't believe they both ended up so badly after the war, though from what he could see, Lyanna Stark's death seemed to have brought them back a little closer. _Maybe in a few more years..._

But at the moment he couldn't think so long-term. He had to find loyal men who knew how to skillfully handle money, and the less they were related to the Lannisters, the better. Maybe his wife knew about someone, he should talk to her about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I had the intention to take Dragonstone from Stannis since the beggining, but I didn't really know how to justify it. It seemed to me that the Lannisters would try to keep the balance of power in the kingdom somehow, so giving Dragonstone to Joffrey or some other member of the Lannister family after Stannis gets married was the best possible option.
> 
> On other things. The identity of who were the Masters of Laws and Coin before Renly and Littlefinger isn't revealed anywere in the books or the show, so I decided to put Ser Eldon Estermont (Robert's uncle) and Ser Harys Swift (In OTL, he becomes Hand of the King for Tommen and, when he is replaced, Cersei names him Lord Treasurer).
> 
> Thanks again for the amazing reception this story has get, and see you in next chapter: The Wedding.


	4. Arianne I

**Arianne I**

289 A.C.

Arianne peeked over the balcony of her room in the Tower of the Sun when she saw the first war galley appear on the horizon. It had golden sails with an enormous crowned black stag at its center. Gradually other similar ships appeared by its side and within a few minutes, Arianne could see so many warships that she could not reach to count them. Among them she also spotted some with the sun and spear of house Martell, although they were so few in comparison that they were lost amid the golden sails of the rest of the ships in the fleet. In one of those ships was her uncle Oberyn, who was part of the detachment that Dorne had sent to participate in the war against the ironborn. However, there were fewer ships than those which had docked in Sunspear a few months earlier, when this same fleet had headed for the Iron Islands to end Balon Greyjoy's rebellion against King Robert Baratheon. Despite everything, the royal fleet remained formidable and Arianne wondered if now that the Iron Fleet was in ruins there was any navy capable of withstand it throughout the known world. _Perhaps the Redwyne fleet, or maybe those of the free cities of Volantis and Braavos,_ Arianne thought, but as much as they were similar in size, she doubted that none of them could defeat the Iron Throne's fleet in battle. After all, none of them were commanded by him: Stannis Baratheon, the king's brother, Lord Commander of the Royal Fleet and, in a couple of days, her husband. According to the message which had arrived at the palace a few months ago, Stannis had defeated the Iron Fleet and its commander, Victarion Greyjoy, off the coast of Fair Isle. The defeat suffered by the Greyjoys was such that just a month later, King Robert invaded the Iron Islands with his armies. Eddard Stark, along with King Robert himself, hammer in hand, had reportedly assaulted Pyke, the ancestral fortress of the Greyjoys, ending the rebellion once and for all. The travelers said that the bravest man had been a certain Thoros of Myr, who had been the first through the breach in the walls of Pyke, with a flaming sword in his hand. _What a stupid thing,_ Arianne thought. The bravest warrior had been her fiancé, who had defeated the ironborn at sea like no one had done before. _Without him, the Usurper would never have been able to reach Pyke in the first place._

The last time Arianne had seen her husband-to-be was when he docked at Sunspear to supply the fleet on its way to the Iron Islands. He had stayed only a couple of days and Arianne hardly spoke to him, as he was busy managing the fleet for most of his stay. When she saw him, it was as if her childhood memories were back to her. He had barely changed since the previous time she had seen him, when she met him almost six years ago. He was still as tall as he was then, though she noticed him fitter than last time. His eyes were dark blue as the sea, and Arianne could remain self-absorbed looking at them for minutes, though he did not seem to notice. He wasn't the most attractive man Arianne had ever met, that was true. But she didn't care, she liked it that way, fierce men with a certain air of mystery. And she found Stannis extremely mysterious. During the times she had spoken to him, both in person and in the letters she had written him since they were promised, it was hard to make him speak and he used to respond with short sentences and always went straight to the point. But something in his eyes made her think that this man was hiding something, an ambition he kept hidden in the depths of his being, and Arianne planned to bring it to light. Her cousin Tyene used to tell her that while Arianne was still swimming in Lord Stannis' eyes, she would in the beds of all Dorne's men. _Let her do whatever she wants, one is enough for me._ She had spoken to him for the last time the day the fleet sailed for the Sunset Sea. Arianne had put on her best garments to say her farewells to her fiancé and had given him a silk cloth with the Martell coat of arms to give him luck in battles to come, and for the gods to favor him. "The gods will not decide this war, my lady, it will be the men who will do it" he had replied, but she could still see it tied around his arm before he left.

Arianne covered her eyes from the sun to better see the boats approaching the port and finally spotted it. A large galley of three decks full of scorpions and above them, three masts with large sails where the crowned stag of the Baratheons stood proudly. She had seen it before, but this time it seemed emaciated and damaged by the battles it had just returned from. From that distance she couldn't see him, but she knew that galley was bringing her husband to her.

Arianne dropped a sigh she didn't know she was holding on and called her maids to prepare her for a bath and bring her something to eat before welcoming Lord Stannis and his captains. _Is King Robert coming too?_ she wondered as she brushed her long and curly black hair that fell up to the middle of her back. When she finished, she put on her best clothes and jewels and came down to gather with her father and brothers, although she doubted that little Trystane, who had not yet passed his third name day, would be at the reception. Her brother Quentyn would be, for he had returned from Yronwood, where he had been serving as Lord Anders' ward for a few years as a way to repair the blood debt between the Martell and the Yronwoods. Her mother had protested vigorously against it, but her father did not relent. This fact, together with Arianne's marriage, had strained the marriage so much that Lady Mellario had returned to Norvos shortly after Trystane was born. Arianne cried a lot the day her mother sailed for Norvos and, although she understood her mother's departure, she knew that the decisions her father had made regarding his children's future had been made for the sake of Dorne and its people. _Someday, it will be my turn to do the same._

When she arrived in the main hall of the palace, her father and brother were already there, dressed in their best clothes. There were also most of his vassals: Lord Anders Yronwood, Lady Blackmont and her daughter Jynessa, Quentyn Qorgyle, Lord of Sandstone and she also distinguished several Manwoodys and Ullers along with men from almost every house who had sworn allegiance to the Martells. Behind her father was Areo Hotah, the captain of his father's personal guard, who had decided to stay in Dorne instead of returning with Lady Mellario to Norvos. Arianne was glad that he had decided to stay with them, for she had always had him in high regard. Her father was sitting on one of Dorne's thrones, which was adorned with the Lance of house Martell. The other, in the shape of a sun, was empty. It might seem that Doran Martell was sitting there to show power to his guests, but Arianne knew it was not the only reason. Master Coleotte had diagnosed her father with gout a year ago. It was not serious yet, but the master had recommended her father not to move his joints too much, so as to try to slow the rhythm of the disease.

"Father, " said Arianne after bowing and kissing his hand.

"Arianne" answered him gently. "Sit next to me, daughter."

Arianne looked at him in amaze. According to tradition, only the ruler of Dorne and his consort had the right to sit on the twin thrones, those where Nymeria and Mors Martell had once sat.

"Someday you will take my place, Arianne. You're no longer a child, it's time for you to start understanding what it means to govern."

Arianne obeyed and sat on the throne. She had always imagined what it would be like to sit on the throne of Nymeria, but once she had done so, it did not seem very different to any other seat. In fact, she felt a slight chill as she sat on the cold stone and the throne seemed somewhat uncomfortable. _Next time I'm going to order a cushion before I sit in it.._.

She thought it wouldn't be long before the newcomers showed up, but it took hours before the royal entourage finally arrived. Her father was sitting stoically, but she kept stirring impatiently in her seat. _What is taking them_ so _long?_

At last, the palace's gates were opened, and Arianne could see many faces she had not seen before. She saw several knights of the Stormlands and the lords of the Narrow Sea, but, although she had studied and knew the coats of arms of the different houses, she did not remember who the head of each of the houses were that day. Other faces were familiar, such as that of her uncle Oberyn and his squire, her friend Daemon Sand. Arianne was glad they had returned safely. _Ser Daemon now._ Her uncle had anointed him knight after the war. She also saw the onion knight and Stannis. Behind him was a tall and very handsome young man, with black hair and blue eyes wearing a beautiful gold doublet with the Baratheon sigil stamped on it. _King Robert? No, he's too young to be him, he doesn't look much older than me. Nor can it be Prince Joffrey, he is too old_. She was relieved to see no one carrying the golden lion of the Lannisters. From what people said, a tournament was being held in Lannisport to celebrate the victory, so all the Lannisters must have been there.

"Welcome, noble knights. All Dorne is proud of your victory over the ironborn raiders and pillagers," her father said.

"It hasn't been much brother" laughed her Uncle Oberyn. "We smashed their boats as if they were made of paper. And all thanks to this man!" he roared as he raised Stannis Baratheon's fist in victory. The room erupted in applause, though the expression on Stannis' face did not change the slightest. It was clear that those words made him very uncomfortable. _The truth is, he could smile a little now and then. He'd look more handsome._ Arianne missed a beat when she saw that a garment of orange cloth was tied in his raised arm, it was worn, but it was the same one Arianne had given him when he left. _So, you've_ kept _it_ _all these months after all._

"I've heard that it was a great victory," her father said. "Rest gentlemen. You'll be tired of the long journey, and tomorrow is an important day. I'm sorry your brother won't be able to attend your wedding, Lord Stannis."

"My brother had more important matters to deal with," Stannis said with slight contempt. "I apologize for his absence."

"Luckily your other brother has been able to come," the man behind him said cheerfully. "I've always been told that I look like Robert when I was young, so at least one of the _handsome_ Baratheon brothers will be present at this wedding," he continued, making many of the present laugh. _So, this must be Renly Baratheon, the king's younger brother._ He was handsome, it was impossible for Arianne to deny him that, although she noticed some arrogance in his tone that made her distrust him. Her uncle Oberyn was arrogant too, but when he bragged about something, it was because he had actually done it. She hadn't heard anything from Renly Baratheon that could impress her.

The dawn of the next day came much earlier than Arianne would have imagined. Her maids had woken her up early and given her a hot bath and had rubbed her from head to toe. It was Sylvia Santagar, her childhood friend, who brushed and wavered her dark hair. Then she took several bottles of perfume for her to choose from. _I wish my mother was here. I'm sure she'd know which perfume to choose._ She forced herself to keep her tears at bay when she noticed her eyes getting wet when she thought of her mother _. Does she remember me? ¿Does she know that, half a world form where she is, her only daughter is about to marry?_ In the end she chose a sweet fragrance with a certain lemon touch.

The bridal dress she had chosen was made entirely of silk, as he feared that if she had chosen a different material, she would end up cooked before the wedding ceremony was over. Orange and gold silk threads were intertwined forming intricate designs. The sleeves were very short, leaving her arms covered in jewels for all to see. The skirt, on the other hand, was long and wide to facilitate her movements.

"You look very beautiful, princess," Sylvia told her when they finished dressing her up. "Lord Stannis will not be able to stop looking at you once he puts his eyes on you."

"Yes, won't he?" she was dying to see Stannis seeing her in that dress. _He'll want me. As soon as he sees me, he'll want nothing else but to wrap me in his arms and never let me go._ "Bring the cloak".

It was a long cloak of orange velvet with ruby ornaments. It had embroidered the red sun and the golden spear of the Martells. It was the same one her father had wrapped her mother with years earlier. It had a thin golden chain with which to fasten it around the neck. She contained the curiosity to put it on and see how she looked in it. After all, it was not meant for her. She folded it in her arms and waited for her father to take her to the sept.

"Please leave us alone" said the prince when he appeared through the door. He looked majestic in his golden garb. The others left the room while her father approached her and took he by the arm. "The maester told me that I would better use a cane today so as not to force my knees too much, but I think I still have the strength to take my daughter down the aisle," he said with a smile on his lips. Suddenly he grabbed her hand tightly and his face overshadowed. "I know I've never asked you your opinion regarding this marriage, but I'd like to ask you now before I force you to do something I can regret for the rest of my life. If it's your wish I can cancel this wedding immediately."

"No, father" she answered. "We must do our duty."

Later she would not remember going down the stairs of the tower or crossing the courtyard to the palace's sept from how nervous she was.

She advanced by taking her father's arm towards the altar, where they awaited the septon and the man with which she would share the rest of her life. Stannis Baratheon stood next to the altar dressed in an elegant black doublet with gold motifs. He wore high boots up to his knee and a cloak of gold fabric with the crowned stag of the Baratheons embroidered buckled around the neck with a thin gold chain. As she progressed, she saw her uncle and cousins staring at her with eyes like plates. Areo Hotah was also present, as were Lord Renly and twenty others. When they finally climbed the stairs to the altar and her father handed her over, she could see how tears were about to burst from his face. _Is it because of the pain caused by gout, or because of the one that causes you to give up your only daughter in marriage being so young?_

The seven vows were formulated, the septon invoked the seven blessings, and the seven promises were exchanged. Once the wedding song was over and no one rose to prevent marriage, it was time for the exchange of cloaks, although, due to the conditions that his father had put to the marriage, the protocol was going to be somewhat different.

Lord Renly approached his brother and removed his cape with a somewhat mocking gesture while Arianne unfolded the cloak that was bent in her arms with a slight movement. Arianne suddenly realized the difference in stature between the two of them. While she favoured her mother and was considered short for her age, Stannis was so tall that he towered almost two heads over her. _Wow, this is going to be a little embarrassing,_ she thought while holding the cloak restless. She was about to ask for a stool, but Stannis suddenly knelt down, allowing Arianne to place the cloak about his shoulders and fasten it around his neck.

"With this kiss I pledge my love and take you for my lord and husband!" cried Arianne in a rumbling voice.

"With this kiss I pledge my love and take you as my princess and wife!" replied Stannis drawing her closer to him and giving her a long kiss on the mouth, even though he was somewhat shy and it lasted less than Arianne would have liked. The septon declared that Arianne of house Martell and Stannis of house Baratheon were one flesh, one heart and one soul, now and forever.

Areo Hotah led the procession that led them out of the sept and preceding them was her cousin Tyene dressed entirely in white, who threw rose petals to the ground as they advanced. Arianne did not turn, but she knew that after them came her father and uncle, Lord Renly and the rest of the witnesses.

Before moving on to the bridal banquet they walked through the gates of the palace wall to see the people who had gathered there. She could hear the applause and cheers even before she walked through the gates. She knew the people loved her so much that they were willing to accept even a Baratheon as her husband.

"This is your people, my husband" she said as she greeted the crowd. "Look how they love you."

"I think it's not me whom they love, but you princess" her husband replied. "They will never love a Baratheon, let alone me."

"Well, we have time to fix that, " replied Arianne still smiling.

The banquet was held in the throne room of the Old Palace. There must be nearly a hundred guests, counting those who had attended the ceremony, many more than any other in which she had ever been, most were vassals and allies of house Martell. She and Stannis occupied the seats of honor under the twin thrones. Upstairs, the gallery was crowded with musicians with flutes, violins and drums.

Arianne never thought her wedding would be so boring. Her husband ate and drank little. He listened to all those who rose to make a toast and occasionally thanked them with a dry nod, but otherwise his face seemed sculpted in stone. She tried to start a conversation with him, but they rarely went past three or four sentences.

"Excuse my dear brother, it's hard for him to deal with women and much more if they're as beautiful as you, princess" said Lord Renly, who was sitting next to her. Stannis was talking to her father, so he didn't seem to hear his brother's comment.

"He'll have to get used to it. After all, we are one soul, now and forever, right?" replied Arianne.

"Surely he'll be heading to your bed tonight just as he would if he went to a battle, with his usual shadowy face and ready to do his duty" laughed Lord Renly.

"And how do you go into battle, my lord?"

"Ha, ha. you got me there, princess. I'm sorry to tell you that I haven't been involved in any yet. Robert's rebellion caught me being very young, and the King's Hand didn't want me to go to the Iron Islands with my brothers. The old man didn't want to risk that all the Baratheon brothers could die in battle. In the end the two returned safely and full of glory, while I stayed ashore, bored to death."

"Why did you come with the fleet then?" asked Arianne curiously.

"I was in Lannisport to participate in the tournament, but Robert decided that he didn't want to travel that far to go to a wedding, so he ordered me to go in his stead. And here I am. The truth is, knowing my brother, I thought the wedding would be more boring."

"Luckily for you, it was my uncle who organized it, although I imagine you'd rather be in Lannisport."

"Well, I'm sure I'll find something interesting to do before the night's over" Renly said while he averted his eyes. Arianne saw that he was looking at a young squire not much older than her brother Quentyn who was sitting a few tables far from them. _Is he his lover?_ Same-sex relationships were the order of the day in Dorne, but she knew that in the rest of the realms they could be a disgraceful scandal for a noble house.

"My lady" said her husband, taking her out of her thoughts. "Shall we open the dance?"

Arianne took his hand, smiled and let herself be carried away by the music. Stannis tried to follow her at the dance as best he could, but dancing was clearly not his strong point. As soon as the song was over, her husband sat down again, but she kept dancing. She danced first with her father and then with her uncle, her brother and with Lord Renly. Daemon told her that she was radiant, Lord Uller wished her many children and Sir Davos, many years of happiness.

As soon as the music stopped, she heard Renly's loud cry.

"Time for the bedding!"

Other men joined the cry and swirled around the stand, the drunkest were the first. For the first time in a long time, Arianne felt afraid. She knew exactly what was going on at a wedding, hers wasn't the first one she attended to. She knew what the rite of bedding was and had helped undress other grooms, but things changed when she was the protagonist. She wouldn't have minded if only her uncle and childhood friends were there, but most of those present were practically unknown to her and she knew the freedoms some guests took during the bedding.

"There will be no bedding!" spoke Stannis. "I have spoken to Prince Doran and considered that we can do without it." She had to restrain himself so as not to hug Stannis and her father at that very moment. _I can't look like a weeping little girl._ Stannis took her by the hand, and they left the room as she heard the complaints from some of those present.

By the wedding night they had been given a bedroom at the top of the Tower of the Sun. When they entered, Stannis closed the door sharply and locked it.

"This way we won't be disturbed by any drunks," Stannis said, his voice not much louder than a whisper.

When he turned around, Arianne had taken off her dress and her jewellery was the only thing covering her naked body. Stannis seemed so impressed that he was unable to articulate a single word.

"Stannis, shall we begin?" said Arianne with the most seductive tone she knew.

"My lady, " replied Stannis nervously.

"Arianne" she said as she grabbed her hands and kissed her on the lips. "Call me Arianne."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wanted to reflect that it was matrilineal marriage in the wedding ceremony but, as none is described in the books so far, I decided to make Arianne place the cloak of the Martells on Stannis instead of the other way around.
> 
> Onto other things, many of you noticed that Cersei was pregnant too early, as Joffrey was born a couple of years later. As you deducted, she was pregnant with Robert's child, the one she will miscarriage (And that she has still miscarriaged in this story), so Joffrey will be the same age here as in the books.
> 
> I don't know which the next chapter will be, as I'm debating whether to do a last timeskip directly to the A song of Ice and Fire events or not.
> 
> See you in next chapter.


	5. Areo II

**Areo II**

Sunspear, 290 A.C.

"It looks like this will be a long summer" the prince said as he watched the city from his balcony in the Tower of the Sun. Hotah noticed concern in his voice, but he didn't say anything.

What he was saying about the summer was true. Normally, the seasons used to last about two or three years. However, this summer has lasted more than two years already, and the heat was only increasing, which meant that this summer would be much longer than usual. _At least another two or three years,_ Hotah predicted. The heat caused the city's smell to become more unpleasant than normal, and the disgusting smell filled Hotah's nostrils every time he breathed. No doubt the prince, sitting there in his padded chair, also felt the smell.

The whole castle was in complete silence, expecting what might happen in the next few hours. For a long time, the only sound he could hear came from the gentle sea breeze and the distant hustle and bustle of the city. However, that silence was interrupted every few minutes by a cry of pain that seemed to penetrate to the bottom of his soul. _The little princess is suffering,_ the captain thought. He wished he could do something to help her, so that he could mitigate her pain, but in that battle his martial knowledge was completely useless. Every time he heard a scream, the prince grabbed the chair as if he could feel his daughter's pain. _He's afraid she might be suffering the same as his sister when she gave birth, or even worse_.

The young princess had become pregnant shortly after her wedding day. Probably the same day, according to Master Caleotte, as Lord Stannis had left the city to return the fleet to King's Landing a few days after the wedding. _Prince Stannis,_ Hotah remembered, for the young man had ceased to be lord the same day he married Princess Arianne, although some people still treated him as Lord because of his position in the Small Council. When news of his wife's pregnancy came to him, Stannis Baratheon had returned to Sunspear and had remained there ever since, even though he remained Master of Ships to King Robert. The young prince had endeavored to continue his duties as Lord Admiral of the Royal Fleet, and a large part of the royal fleet was now in Dorne, spread between the ports of Sunspear and Planky Town. Both ports had been significantly expanded in size in the recent months to accommodate all ships and their crews.

Suddenly, the sound of the door of the prince's quarters came to him as it opened. _Oberyn_. He recognized his strides, long and firm. He came alone, for he could not hear any more footsteps. Areo let him through without further concern.

"Captain. Brother" Prince Oberyn greeted them. Today he did not have his characteristic smile on his face.

"Any news?" asked Doran Martell hoarsely and worried without turning his gaze away from the city.

"Nothing new for now. Caleotte and Cressen are still locked up with her. Lady Marya, Ser Davos's wife is also with them, and Stannis has not moved from the door since yesterday. I'm still surprised he has been able to keep his eyes open."

"I haven't been able to sleep either" confessed the prince. "I must confess you that I have always panicked with childbirth."

"It's not like you to be afraid, brother."

"Mother lost two babies before she had you and Elia, and Elia was almost on the verge of death the two times she gave birth. Let me be afraid for once." Doran Martell dropped a sigh and turned towards them. "Do you have brothers, captain, back in Norvos?"

"Yes, two brothers and three sisters. I was the youngest." _The youngest and the least desired_. It didn't take them many years before they sold him to bearded priests.

"A strong woman, your mother, if she could give birth to six children."

An awkward silence passed between the three of them until Oberyn resumed the conversation.

"Is the plan still standing, brother?

"Mmm. Everything would have been a lot easier if you could have killed Robert in the Iron Islands. I still can't understand how you couldn't do it."

"I told you, I wasn't even close. We were ordered to take Great Wyk while he stormed Pyke's walls. And when it was all over Stannis insisted on coming back as soon as possible. If I had at least been able to attend the Lannisport tournament, I might have had a chance."

"It doesn't matter. What's done, is done, we can't change the past. Robert is still alive, and his progeny continues to increase every passing year. Cersei Lannister is pregnant again and the chances of Stannis gaining the throne will move further and further away."

"Then..."

"New opportunities will arise as long as my daughter lives after this night. If not, we will always have the other option."

"Ser Willem is dead. And a Targaryen restoration doesn't seem possible right now. You've seen what happened to Balon Greyjoy when he dared to rebel."

"Robert has been able to unite the Seven Kingdoms, but I doubt his son will be so lucky. We'll have our revenge sooner or later."

Prince Doran continued to talk to his brother about the plans and conspiracies they were planning before Hotah's watchful eye. They didn't care if the captain listened to their plans, as they knew the captain would never tell what they had talked about. His lips were sealed.

The sun was beginning to set on the horizon when the door opened again, and Hotah heard the sound of the footsteps approaching again, though this time they were lighter and faster. _Maester Caleotte._ The maester was around five feet tall and was completely bald. Hotah was unaware of his age but he had been serving Prince Doran longer than he did. He had even served the prince's mother. Despite his age and wide belly, the master retained his agility, unlike Master Cressen, who needed a walking stick. Cressen had come from Dragonstone last year, shortly after Princess Arianne's wedding. Although, the masters served a specific castle, this was the third one where Cressen served, or so Areo had heard. The old master, who had a thick gray beard and was almost seventy years old, had been serving the Baratheons of Storm's End for decades, but when Stannis Baratheon was appointed lord of Dragonstone, the master had accompanied him there to continue serving him. When again, Stannis was forced to change settlement, the old master followed him to Sunspear. At first Caleotte had complained about the presence of two masters serving in the same castle, but Stannis had intervened on Cressen's behalf, so in the end Prince Doran agreed to have Cressen serve in Sunspear. Hotah distrusted him, for the old man was loyal only to the Baratheons, and not to Prince Doran or his house. Still, so far, he had given no trouble and had served diligently.

"My lords" began the plump little man. He seemed exhausted. Hotah knew why he had come, as did the two princes. No screaming had been heard in several minutes. Those present looked at him with a mixture of expectation and fear, totally pending from the next words that came out of the master's mouth. "I am pleased to inform you that Princess Arianne has given birth to a daughter. Both the mother and daughter are in good health" he said with a smile on his face.

Prince Doran breathed relieved, rose and hugged his brother. Areo also let out a sigh of relief. _Looks like there's going to be a new little princess in the palace now._

"It looks like you're going to be a grandfather sooner than you expected, brother" laughed Prince Oberyn as he hugged his brother.

"Can I come up to see my daughter and granddaughter, maester?" asked Doran Martell.

"Of course. Lord Stannis is with them right now, as are Maester Cressen and Lady Marya Seaworth, who are cleaning the room" Caleotte said. "I'm sure she'll be glad to see you."

Prince Doran followed Maester Caleotte to the rooms where his daughter was, while Hotah marched after them always vigilant. Prince Oberyn had decided to go find his daughters and visit the little princess later, when everything was calmer.

The prince was beginning to struggle to climb the tower's stairs, Hotah noticed. He still refused to use a walking stick, so as not to look weak before his enemies, but it was only a matter of time before he had to start using it. Every once in a while, they had to stop so that the prince could rest, and the night had already fallen when they finally arrived at the princess's rooms. The door was open, and a plump, brown-haired woman was pulling out the sheets full of sweat and blood. Hotah felt a hint of fear when he saw them, but the master had told them that the little princess was in perfect health, so his fears quickly disappeared. When she saw them, she left what she was doing and bowed to them a little clumsy.

"Captain. Prince Doran" she said with a shy smile. "Your daughter and granddaughter are inside. Everything has gone perfectly, although the birth lasted longer than expected, but with these things you never know. When I gave birth to Matthos it took me almost two days."

Marya Seaworth was a low-birth woman who had become a lady of a castle in Cape Wrath when her husband was knighted at the end of the war. Despite becoming a lady, anyone could well mistake her for any nurse or maid in the castle because of the look she had. He had never seen her wear dresses like the rest of the ladies of the court, neither jewels nor ornaments. She reminded Hotah of his mother, the one he had left in Norvos for an eternity and from whom he could not even remember her face. Although the two maesters were probably more than enough to assist in his wife's birth, Stannis Baratheon had asked Lady Marya to come from Cape Wrath to help too. The woman had given birth to Ser Davos's six children without much complications so the young lord surely believed that her experience would help given the background that the women of house Martell had had during the birth of their children.

"Thank you for your work" replied the prince with a faint smile. "Can we pass?"

"Yes, yes. Of course, milord. I mean, my prince" she answered with another reverence. "If you'll excuse me." The plump woman turned and walked down the long aisle with the blankets soaked with sweat and blood.

When they entered, the only people still in the room not counting the newborn were Maester Cressen, Princess Arianne and Stannis Baratheon. The princess was lying on the bed. She was dripping sweat on her forehead and she was so tired that she struggled to keep her eyes open. Sitting next to her was her husband holding the newborn in his arms. The baby had a slight charcoal-black hair bush and had her mother's olive skin. Her eyes were closed, and the poor thing kept squealing and crying in her father's arms.

"Father" Arianne said to Prince Doran in a faint voice, though with a smile on her lips. "Meet your granddaughter, Shireen."

Her father approached her and gave her a kiss on her sweat-soaked forehead gently. "She looks so much like you when you were born. It's your vivid image."

"Didn't she stop squealing and crying either?" said Stannis as he tried to make the little girl calm down.

"She never stopped" laughed the prince. "At night, she was the nightmare of the whole castle. I still remember suggesting Caleotte to give her milk of the poppy so she could fall asleep at night."

"Don't embarrass me like this, father, now that I'm weak and helpless." The princess let out a giggle and looked at Hotah with her eyes ajar. "Captain, it looks like you're going to have a new little princess to protect now. I'm going to get jealous."

_Yes_ , the captain thought as he looked at the little baby and swore to himself that no one would ever hurt Little Princess Shireen as long as he lived.


	6. Eddard I

**Eddard I**

King's Landing. 298 A.C.

The horrible stench of the city could be smelled long before they even reached the gates of King's Landing. When the royal entourage walked through the Gate of the Gods, which ran through the city to the Red Keep, Ned had to cover his nose with a handkerchief so as not to unravel the stinking smell that filled the city streets. Ned had been to other major cities of the Seven Kingdoms, such as Lannisport or White Harbor, but they were not comparable to the capital. The rectangular city stretched along the north bank of the Blackwater, had more inhabitants than the rest of the great cities of Westeros combined and, of course, its drainage system left much to be desired. Ned led the march, followed by the group of northerners who had come with him to the south and behind him was King Robert along with the Queen's carriage and the rest of the court, at a much slower pace than the northerners. Eager to reach the Red keep as soon as possible, Ned accelerated the march and crossed its imposing bronze doors on horseback. He was tired, hungry, irritated and hadn't had a bath for days.

He had not yet dismounted when the king's butler told him that the Grand Maester Pycelle had convened an urgent meeting of the Small Council and requested the Hand to grace them with his presence when he saw fit.

_The most convenient thing would be to do it tomorrow_ , thought Ned clearly annoyed with the news. But he didn't want to offend the council on his first day as the King's Hand.

"Tell them I'll meet them as soon as I take a bath and put on something more presentable" Ned sighed.

"It will be done, my lord" nodded the butler. "We have prepared Lord Arryn's old rooms in the Tower of the Hand for you and your companions to install. I hope you'll be comfortable in your new rooms."

"Many thanks" said Ned as he dismounted. The rest of his group was crossing the doors at the time. He saw Vayon Poole, his butler and Jory Casell and called them. "I'm required on the council. Vayon, prepare me a bath and a proper outfit as soon as possible. Jory, when my daughters arrive, take them to their respective rooms. And make sure they stay there until I come back."

As soon as he left the Tower of the Hand after changing his clothes, he was interrupted by several unknown soldiers. They wore chainmail, bronze helmets, and were armed with spears and shields as if they were ready for battle. He didn't count them, but there appeared to be at least a dozen of them. His guards were in position in front of them and by their faces they could see that there was no friendship between them, in fact, it seemed the antechamber of a violent skirmish. _They are not Golden Cloaks or Lannister soldiers,_ Ned observed. It wasn't until he saw the sun and spear painted on their shields that he realized they were guards of the Martells. _The last thing I expected were Martells in King's Landing._

"Calm down, calm down" said a female voice from behind the Martell guards. "I'm just here to find Lord Stark."

"It's me. Who's looking for me?" asked Ned in a grave voice, passing through his guards. It was then that he saw two women in front of the Dornish soldiers. They were around twenty years old. The first had olive skin, large dark eyes and lustrous black and curly hair while the other had milk-white skin, blue-eyed and blond hair passing her ears.

"Lord Stark, I don't think we know each other" said the dark-haired woman. She wore a silk dress that concealed her curvaceous body, leaving nothing to the imagination. "I am Arianne of house Martell; my husband sends me to accompany you to the chambers of the Small Council. The Red Keep is really large, and he assumed you could lose yourself around here."

"My lady" replied Ned respectfully. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I didn't expect to find you here."

"I didn't think I'd be here, truth be told. My daughters must be in the Water Gardens with their grandfather and I'm sure they miss their parents really much. But Jon Arryn's death and his grace's and most of the court march to Winterfell forced my husband to stay longer in the city."

" _Someone_ _has to put order in the kingdom,_ I believe were his exact words" said the young woman who was accompanying the princess.

The princess laughed upon hearing the comment of her companion. "Yes, it sounds like something Stannis would say. Oh, I forgot to introduce her. This is my cousin Tyene Sand, daughter of my Uncle Oberyn. Isn't she a very beautiful maid?"

"Very true. It's a pleasure to meet you too."

"You're going to make me blush Lord Stark. The pleasure is mine. My father has always spoke me well about you, my lord" the young lady replied.

"I don't remember ever encountering Prince Oberyn, my lady" said Ned bewildered.

"Perhaps you may not remember, my lord. It was at Harrenhal's tournament, from what he told me. Many years ago."

_Harrenhal_. That name only brought dark memories to Ned. Memories he'd rather forget. "I'm sorry, it's been a while of since that and my memories are blurred" Ned apologized.

"I'm sure my cousin didn't want to remind you of bad memories. The council awaits you, Lord Stark. Please follow me."

Ned made a gesture with his head to Jory, who gave the guards the order to disperse. As he toured the instances of the Red Keep, accompanied by the two Dornish women, Ned wondered what Robert's brother's intention was by sending his wife to accompany him to the council chamber. _I'm surrounded by fouls and flatterers_ , Robert told him. Ned had only dealt with Lord Stannis a couple of times, but he didn't think he fit into either category. He was barely a year younger than Robert and looked nothing like him: he was austere, hard-hearing, relentless, and his sense of duty was such that it was almost fanaticism. In fact, he wondered if the woman next to him, jovial, exuberant and ostentatiously exhibiting her wealth, could really be his wife. He knew that the marriage between Stannis and Prince Doran's daughter had been indispensable for Dorne to return to the king's peace after the rebellion, but he did not imagine that the personality of both sides could be so opposite.

"I have heard that your daughters have come with you. I'm sure they're very excited to come south of the Neck" the princess said.

"My daughter Sansa is, though the road has been a bit hard for her," Ned replied recalling the matter of Lady and Prince Joffrey. "My daughter Arya is not so excited. She's always been a little wild, always getting into fights with other kids. But maybe here she learns to behave like a proper lady."

"Ha, ha. I'm sure she'd like to meet my sisters Obara and Nymeria" Tyene said, giving off a giggle.

"Your daughter would love Dorne, my lord. I'm convinced she'll prefer to be there better than life in court. Can I try to convince you to let her come with us when we go back to Dorne?" said Princess Arianne.

"I'll have to think about it, my lady. Although in principle I'd like them to stay on King's Landing with me. Dorne is far away from the North" Ned replied dryly. _Cat wouldn't like it if Arya was so far from her._

"Keep it in mind, please. We'll probably leave before the end of the month, so if you change your mind, you just have to tell us. My daughters would like to have someone their age to play with."

And that's how Ned arrived at the Council chamber, tired, hungry and with his hair that hadn't finished drying out yet.

"Thank you for accompanying me, my ladies" said Ned politely.

"Don't mention it, my lord. I'm sure we'll see each other a lot these days" the princess said as she turned around and came back through the gallery they'd come for.

Five of the council members had already arrived before him with the exception of the king and Ser Barristan. The counselor Ned appreciated the least, the eunuch Varys, approached him as soon as he entered.

"Lord Stark. It was very hard for me to hear your problems on the Kingsroad. We all pray for Prince Joffrey's early recovery," the eunuch said as he shook his hand, dusting Ned's sleeve.

"A pity that you did not pray for the butcher's son" Ned replied coldly. He freed himself from Varys' hand and crossed the room to where Lord Renly was talking to a man of short stature who could be none other than Littlefinger. He looked so much like his brother Robert when he was young that he found it disconcerting.

"Lord Renly, I find you well" said Ned.

"A little fatigued from the road, though my tiredness is not be comparable to yours. I told them the assembly could wait, but..."

"But we have a kingdom to rule. If a couple-day trip tires you out so much that you can't fulfill your responsibilities, Renly, maybe you should leave your place in this council to another" a voice interrupted him from the table. It was Lord Stannis, Robert's other brother, who was already in his seat at the end of the table. He had changed little since he last saw him, during the invasion of the Iron Islands nearly ten years ago.

"If it were up to you, Lord Stannis, you would be the only one who would sit on this council" Littlefinger said with a mocking smile. "I was looking forward to meeting you Lord Stark, surely your wife will have told you about me."

"That's right. My brother Brandon also told me about you, Lord Baelish" Ned replied in an icy voice trying to end the conversation. He was irritated by the arrogance of Littlefinger's comment. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Lord Stannis. When I heard about your engagement to Princess Arianne, I didn't know if you would remain in your position as Master of Ships. I must also thank you for sending her to lead me to this room, she has been of great help to me."

"It wasn't I who sent her, Lord Stark" replied Stannis by arching an eyebrow. "My brother may not want to see me ruling Storm's End or Dragonstone, but it seems he still needs me to keep his kingdom in order. I respect you, but for the most means, I do not approve of your appointment, Lord Stark. My brother should have named me Hand of the King, I have been serving in this council for nearly fifteen years."

"The king trusted Lord Stark to take the position of Hand of the King, and we must trust his decision" the grand maester Pycelle said kindly. "I am sure that you will do a great job, my lord."

"Grand Maester. I hope you're feeling well" Ned said as he sat in the seat next to the king's chair.

"As well as a man my age can be found. We should start now, or else I can fall asleep at any moment" said the grand maester in a tired voice.

"As you wish."

Those who weren't still seated occupied their usual seats and Eddard Stark had the feeling that he was surrounded by strangers whose true intentions for him and the kingdom were unkonwn to him. _Well,_ he thought. _At least I know Stannis's._

"We should wait for the king to arrive and Ser Barristan. They weren't far behind me so they should have reached the Red Keet by now" Ned suggested.

"If you expect us to wait for Robert to show up, I should go back to Dorne" Stannis said.

"Was that meant to be a joke, brother?" laughed Renly.

"What Lord Stannis means is that his Grace has so many concerns that he delegates minor matters to us" Varys said.

"What I meant was that my brother prefers to spend his time drinking and sleeping with whores than ruling" said Stannis, his face totally serious.

Most of the council meeting was about a tournament Robert wanted to hold in his honor. When Ned read the letter Robert had sent them, ordering them to begin preparations for its celebration, he could not get out of his disbelief, which increased when he learned the state of the kingdom's finances. Varys reported that, according to her informant, Daenerys Targaryen was on her way to Vaes Dohrak along with her brother, a red priestess and all the khalasar of her husband. Ned was already aware of the situation and was not worried as long as the Targaryen had no ships with which to transport that army. Lord Stannis also reported an increase in the number of pirate attacks on the Stepstones, but Ned did not want to discuss any subjects until he had spoken to Robert about the situation of the kingdom. This had to stop immediately.

"I beg your pardon, my lords" he said wearily. "The journey has been long, and I find myself a little stressed. We'll resume this tomorrow."

"Lord Stark, I'm afraid the matter of pirates is of the utmost importance. Trade..." Stannis started.

"I'm sure it can wait till tomorrow, Lord Stannis" retorted Ned, his tone perhaps too abrupt.

"Excuse my brother, Lord Stark. The poor guy can't command under his own roof, so he has to do it with us. When you're in bed, you also position yourself beneath her, Stannis?" said Renly, causing a laugh in the chamber.

"If you ever make fun of me again, Renly, I swear..." said Stannis red of anger.

Ned, who had not participated in the laughter, rose, said goodbye to those present with a gesture of his head and headed toward the door. Tomorrow he would apologize for his rudeness, but now he just wanted to see his daughters and rest, not engage in jokes and taunts.

He crossed the outside yard and was heading to what he believed was the Tower of the Hand when Lady Tyene suddenly appeared before him.

"Lord Stark, what an extraordinary coincidence it is seeing each other again so soon" said the woman innocently.

_Every day that passes I start to believe less in_ _extraordinary coincidences_.

"Do you want anything, my lady?" asked Ned trying to end this encounter as soon as possible.

"Just trying to offer you some help, my lord" she said as she handed him a little bottle that she had just pulled out of the folds of the sleeve of her dress.

"What is this?" asked Ned observing the strange colorless liquid inside the bottle.

"A powerful antidote. It will cure you of most of the known poisons and if not, it will surely relieve you of the symptoms enough so you can come to me for help."

"Why do you give me this, my lady? Do you suspect that someone has poisoned me?" said Ned incredulously. _It's true that I'm more tired than usual, but it must because of the long journey_.

"It's just a precaution, you wouldn't want to suffer the same fate as the last Hand, would you?"

"Jon Arryn? Are you implying that...?"

"Oh! I think we'll have to leave this conversation for later. Looks like a mockingbird wants to talk to you" she said as she passed by. Ned kept the bottle in one of the pockets of his suit and turned to see where Lady Tyene was going when he found Littlefinger approaching him.

"I see you have made good friends with Lady Tyene, although some say it can be dangerous to approach a pretty face, and more if it is one of the Sand Snakes. She didn't bite you, did she, Lord Stark?" said Littlefinger with a mocking smile on his face.

"She has given me no reason to distrust her, Lord Baelish."

"I'm sure she hasn't, who might suspect anything from that angel's face?" replied Littlefinger with sarcasm. "Come with me, Lord Stark, you are heading the wrong way."

Ned followed him with some hesitation. Littlefinger led him to a tower, then they went down some stairs and walked through a desert corridor guarded by empty armors from the Targaryen Era, dusty and forgotten.

"This is not the path to my chambers, is it? Where are you taking me?" said Ned, tired of Littlefinger's games.

"Who said I was leading you to your quarters? I'm taking you to see your wife, Lord Stark."


	7. Arianne II

** Arianne II **

"He's too naive, Arianne. It's too risky to include him in the plan. The old man at least had some common sense after so many years serving in court..." insisted her cousin Tyene as she moved one of her ivory crossbowmen to threaten Arianne's dragon.

"He may be, but he's a man of honor, and that makes him incredibly predictable," Arianne replied as she moved her dragon towards a mountain, out of reach of Tyene's crossbowman. "Did you give him the antidote?"

"Yes, just as you asked me. But there are many other ways to kill a man other than poison him, Arianne. A murder, an accident hunting, a fall down the stairs..."

"True, though they are much less subtle methods. Stark is a fundamental part of our plan, we have to keep him alive at all costs. I've already made a mistake with Jon Arryn and I won't let it happen again if I can help it. By the way, won't you know where he is right now?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Littlefinger showed up as soon as I finished talking with him. I saw them leave together, but they didn't look like they were going to the Tower of the Hand."

"If he trusts Littlefinger, then maybe he truly is as stupid as you say he is."

_Littlefinger_. The Master of Coin was a dangerous man, but as far as she knew, the little man was unaware of her intentions.

Her plans had become considerably complicated because of the death of old Jon Arryn a few months ago. If all had gone as planned, she would now be in Sunspear with Stannis and her daughters receiving the sad and surprising news that Queen Cersei had been unfaithful to poor King Robert and had posed her bastards as Robert's legitimate sons. Right now Cersei's head, that of the Kingslayer and those of their sons would be mounted in a pike in the walls of the Red Keep, the lords of the Seven Kingdoms would be raising their levies for war against Tywin Lannister and, within a few months, Casterly Rock would have been reduced to rubble. _But the old man had to die before he could have told the_ _Usurper_ _everything._

Jon Arryn's death had been partly her fault, she knew, but the old man could have been more cautious. When the old Hand of the King suddenly became ill, Arianne knew since the beginning that he had been poisoned, as Jon Arryn was a very robust man, even for his age. However, when her cousin told her that Master Colemon's treatment on the effects of the Tears of Lys was appropriate, she had become carefree and decided not to intervene for fear that she or Stannis might be the next targets. This proved to be a fatal mistake, as, before long, the Grand Maester Pycelle replaced Colemon and within a few days Jon Arryn was dead.

After thinking about it for a few seconds, Tyene moved one of her elephants to a square occupied by one of Arianne's onyx lancers, thus removing it from the board. However, that movement left him within reach of Arianne's dragon, who did not hesitate to eliminate the elephant in her next move.

"I still think it's too hasty, dear cousin," Tyene said with concern. "The queen clearly suspects us. And Ned Stark is not very discreet precisely... It may have been better to go back to the original plan, even if it takes longer than expected." She then killed her dragon with a catapult that Arianne had ignored. "By the way, your king is trapped. Death in three."

"Arg..." Arianne said as she got up frustrated. "We can't waste any more time, as soon as Joffrey comes of age, the Lannisters will kill Robert and put him in the throne, that's for sure. The plan goes ahead Tyene, you know what you have to do."

"You don't have to remind me," replied Tyene with a horrible grimace on her face. "Are you sure there's no other way?"

"There's always someone with him, that's the only way I can think of. And I'm clearly not going to hire a vulgar assassin. They could capture him and if he rats us out, we'd end up just like my aunt and cousins."

"All right, you let me know when everything's ready. But when you're queen, I hope you give me a castle, and a pretty big one. Oh, and with sea views," she said as she left the room.

Arianne dropped a sigh, rose and peeked into the window of her room. The cyvasse was a game from Volantis, but a few months ago it had been introduced in Dorne by merchant ships that arrived in Planky Town, and the orphans had spread it up and down the Greenblood. In the Dornish court, everyone was addicted to it. Arianne had brought a board and pieces with her on her last trip to King's Landing, but the only people she could play with here were Tyene and Stannis. She had been unable to beat him since the first game they played, and she struggled to win Tyene more and more, which frustrated her enormously.

She had been plotting the fall from grace of the Lannisters for quite some time, although it took her years to find a way to do it. To her surprise, it was her husband who served it to her on a silver platter as he told her his suspicions that the king's children were not his, but the result of incest between the queen and the Kingslayer. Arianne struggled to believe that even Cersei had come to do such an abominable thing, but it was true that the children looked nothing like Robert. Deep down, she didn't care who their true parents were, all the people would think they were the fruit of incest if it was the Hand of the King himself who said it.

If the words came from her or Stannis, the Lannisters could easily say that it was a lie created by them for her husband to move to the top spot in the line of succession, which was true to some extent; but if the words came out of the mouth of the honorable Jon Arryn or Ned Stark, then no one would question it. It was relatively easy to convince her husband to deepen his research and, as she had envisaged, he conveyed his suspicions to Jon Arryn, the only man in the capital her husband trusted, with the exception of Ser Davos.

However, with Ned Stark she could not act the same way. It had taken Stannis years to trust the old Hand and it would probably take the same to do with Ned Stark. Unfortunately, Arianne could not wait that long now that the Lannisters were on alert, so she had been forced to change her plan. _It's risky, but it'll work out fine…_

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the squeak of the door as it opened.

"You come back sooner than I expected, Stannis. Normally you don't usually come back until it's time for dinner," she said as she saw her husband walk through the door. He was wearing several rolls of paper loaded with his arm and looked like wanting to punch someone in the face.

"The council meeting has lasted less than expected. It seems that your new friend Eddard Stark wanted to rest," Stannis replied as he dropped the rolls of paper sharply on the table at the back of the room.

'He's not my friend, I was just curious to see what the famous Ned Stark that everyone's talking about was like. Truth be told, I am not impressed."

"Is that why you wanted us to stay in King's Landing for two more months? To meet Ned Stark?"

"No, I told you to stay because I knew your sense of duty would make you return to King's Landing shortly after we returned to Dorne. Or would you have let Ned Stark take over the place of Hand of the King without you being present in his first council in the post?" asked Arianne with a smile.

"Yes, I would have. You know we are not safe here since the Lannisters murdered Jon Arryn. Every day we spend here is a recklessness."

"I told you that as long as Tyene is with us, you must not fear any poison. Of all my uncle's daughters, she is arguably the most adept with them."

"As skillful as she may be, I doubt she can protect us if the Lannisters decide to send their men to kill us," Stannis said.

"That's what we have guards for, honey. Besides, I don't think waiting for the next moon is that hard."

"Maybe the trip is delayed a little longer," Stannis said as he took off his gloves and cloak.

"Oh, and that?" asked Arianne surprised.

"There has been an increase in pirate attacks on the Stepstones. I intend to take advantage of our journey back to Dorne to take part of the fleet with us and take them down. I will pass on my plans to the council tomorrow, if Lord Stark is not tired of the next meeting, that is."

_Good news for once. It's a good excuse to justify our return to Dorne._ Otherwise the timing of the trip might seem too convenient.

"You're still mad that Robert named him Hand of the King instead of you." It wasn't a question.

"Ned Stark is only here because he's a childhood friend of Robert's. The brother he never had, as he would say. I'm his real brother and I've been serving him here for almost fifteen years, not like Stark!"

_I don't know why I'm saying anything for_. It was the umpteenth time Arianne heard that phrase from her husband's mouth, as if the fact that he repeated it a thousand times was going to change his brother's decision.

"Well, if your brother despises you so much, maybe you should stop serving him!" said Arianne.

"You're right" answered Stannis in a tired voice as he sat on the edge of the bed, turning his back. “First it was Storm’s End. He should’ve made me Lord Paramount of the Stormlands after he got the throne, as it was my right. But he gave it to Renly and instead he made me Lord of Dragonstone. Then, barely a year after that, he decides Dragonstone should be given to his firstborn. I never wanted that dammed island, but he didn’t have the right to take it from me. My uncle Eldon told me it was because he didn’t trusted me, me! Me, who rebelled against the king because he couldn’t get over a woman!”

Arianne looked at him surprised. They had been married for nine years and, despite the numerous times Robert had despised and belittled his brother, Stannis’ loyalty to him had always been firm and unwavering.

"I've been thinking about it," Stannis continued turning his head to look at her. "The next time I return to King's Landing, I will submit my resignation as Master of Ships to Robert and return to Dorne with you and the girls. With your father's delicate state of health, you may soon have to take care of ruling Dorne. You'll need me a lot more there than I'm needed in the capital. "

"But what are you going to do with your research on Cersei's bastards? Will you pass on your suspicions to Robert?"

"No, I'll tell Ned Stark when I leave the office. I trust the evidence I gathered with Jon Arryn will be enough to convince him. I may not appreciate him, but I respect him. He's an honorable man loyal to Robert, I know he'll act properly."

_This changes everything, maybe I should delay the plan, maybe wait a few months will be the best thing after all..._ thought Arianne to the astonishing revelation. _No, I have to act before the Lannisters find out what I'm up to._

"If you're so certain, why not tell him now?" said Arianne, stepping away from the window and sitting next to her husband.

"It will seem that I am an opportunist and that I do so for the purpose of being next in the line of succession. Besides, Ned Stark hasn't stepped on King's Landing for years. He must learn who he can trust and who he can't. If I tell him now, he could tell this to Renly or one of those scoundrels who sit next to me in the council."

"And do you think by the time you get back, he'll have learned? Tell him before you go, or Littlefinger or Varys will get to him while you're fighting pirates thousands of miles away" Arianne whispered in his ear as she hugged him from behind and rested her head on his shoulder.

"When Robert learns of Cersei's infidelity, the blood will flow. And you and I will be the first Tywin Lannister will want to see dead. Do you want to make that happen?"

"We both know you're not going to keep it a secret forever. It wouldn't be like you; I know you too well. Since you're going to tell Ned Stark no matter what, at least do it right, before he ends up with bad company. And believe me when I tell you that in Dorne we hate Tywin Lannister so much more than he can ever hate us."

"Yes, I've heard your uncle say something about it."

Arianne let out a laugh. "Was that meant to be a joke, Stannis? I'm never entirely sure with you."

"We've been married for almost ten years. By now you should know when I'm joking."

"Oh yeah? It's not like you know everything about me." _If you did, I'd be rotting in the dungeons under the Red Keep in this very moment_.

"Go ahead, try me" he said without looking away.

"Oh, is it a challenge?" she asked naughtily. "Come on, I accept it, " she continued as she sat on Stannis's legs, still staring at him. In this position, it looked like they were both at the same height, although she still had to raise her head slightly so she could look at him. "What's my favorite food?"

"Easy. Snake stew with dragon peppers" he answered undeterred.

"How did you know?"

"It's the first thing they served at our wedding banquet. And it was the only dish you repeated. Also, during your first pregnancy you got into it and you ate it for almost a month."

"But... back then you were in King's Landing."

Her husband shrugged. "When I returned to Sunspear it was the only thing everyone was talking about. I'm still surprised Shireen doesn't spit fire."

"Ha, ha, ha. Two jokes in a row. And then then say you don't have a sense of humor. Well, next question: Who won the cyvasse game I just played with Tyene?"

"Tyene. She is better than you. At least she knows how to use more pieces besides the dragon."

"Hey! You shouldn't say those things to your wife" she said as she taped his chest. "You're supposed to help me get better, and you keep beating me every time we play. At least you could let me win sometime."

"If I let you win, you wouldn't learn. In fact, by the amount of games we've been playing, you should have beaten me at least once. Tyene has already beaten me once and your father, several times."

"Wow, you sure know how to cheer me up like no one else," she said pouting.

"Aren't you going to ask me anything else? Or do you give up?" said Stannis with a slight smile.

"Hmm, I'll test your knowledge of me in a different way. A slightly more practical way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Last chapter we jumped directly to the time when Eddard Stark becomes Hand of the King and arrives at King's Landing. This chapter happens right after that. The events that doesn't appear in any chapter, like when Catelyn Stark seizes Tyrion or Jon's first adventures in the Wall will happen as in the OTL...more or less. We'll see about that. Anyways, thanks for reading and see you again next week.


	8. Arya I

**Arya I**

Her father was late for dinner. He had a council meeting today, but it still took him longer than usual. They had already reached dessert when their father strode into the Little Hall.

"My lord!" said Jory, standing up as he saw Ned enter.

The rest of the guard, about fifty men, quickly imitated him. They all sported new cloaks with silver hand-shaped closures, which identified them as members of the Hand's Guard.

"Sit down" said Eddard Stark. "I see you're almost done. At least there's someone left with common sense in the castle." Arya saw that he looked at them all with a more serious gesture than usual, as if he were worried about something.

"In the courtyards it is said that there will be a Tourney, my lord," Jory said as he sat down again. "In honor of your appointment as Hand of the King."

From her father's frown, Arya realized that he didn't like the mention of the upcoming Tourney the slightest.

"A Tourney!" exclaimed Sansa with her eyes open like plates. "Will we be able to attend, Father?"

"I have to organize Robert's Tourney and pretend I'm honored by it, but I'm not going to expose you to such madness."

"Please, Father!" insisted Sansa. "I've never attended one!"

"All the ladies of the court are expected to be present," intervened septa Mordane. "Further, the Tourney is in your honor, it would be very strange if your daughters didn't come."

"I suppose so" nodded her father resignedly. "I'll make sure you both have a place."

"I don't care about that stupid Tourney!" replied Arya. She knew Joffrey would attend and she hated him.

"No one would want you to go anyway" said Sansa.

"Enough, Sansa" said her father full of anger. "Say one more word and you won't go. You are sisters and I want you to behave as such."

Sansa bit her lip and nodded. Arya, for her part, bowed her head and stared at the cake that had just been served with a sullen gesture.

"I beg your pardon. I have no appetite today" her father told those present and left the room.

As soon as he had left, Sansa began exchanging whispers with Jeyne Poole.

"Do you think the Red Viper will attend?" asked Jeyne to Sansa. "I've heard that two of his daughters are in the capital, so he may be too."

"I don't know, but I hope not. I've heard that he uses poisoned weapons to kill his opponents even if he loses. He's not a real knight" Sansa replied. "Whom I want to see is the Knight of Flowers. They say he's better than Leo Longthorn."

Arya didn't even pay attention to their conversation, she hated them. She hated Sansa, who had lied to the king so as not to blame Prince Joffrey. Because of her, Lady and Mycah were dead. She hated Jeyne, who had told her that the Hound had cut Mycah into pieces and handed it to the butcher in a sack and was said that the butcher had mistaken him for a pig at first.

_He was my friend. And now he's dead because I asked him to train with me_. Arya noticed her eyes getting wet. She walked away from the table and ran to the door as she heard septa Mordane screaming something to her with an increasingly squeaky voice. She dodged Fat Tom, who was on guard before the Tower of the Hand and climbed the tower's spiral staircase like a twinkle until she reached her room. When she had the door jammed, she dropped on the bed and burst into tears.

Fat Tom called her, and soon after, so did septa Mordane, but Arya did not intend to open the door. Se kneeled and opened the chest at the foot of the bed. There, under many layers of clothing, was _Needle,_ the sword that Jon had given her when they had said goodbye to each other.

"Arya Stark, open the door right now, you hear me?" shouted septa Mordane from the other side of the door.

"Go away! I don't want to see you again!" replied Arya.

"I'm going to tell your lord father!" roared the septa.

"I don't care! Get out of here!" shouted Arya.

Arya heard the footsteps of the septa moving away from the door and lay back on the bed, with _Needle_ in hand. After a while, she heard knocks on the door again, albeit softer this time.

"Arya, " said her father. "Please open up. We need to talk."

Arya lifted the lock from the door. Her father was alone and seemed sadder than furious, which made Arya feel ashamed of her behavior.

"And that sword?" asked her father after entering the room and closing the door behind him.

"It's mine"

"Give it to me"

She unwillingly handed him the sword. She may never see it again. Her father examined it by candlelight.

"It looks like Mikken's work. I have to rule Seven Kingdoms and I can't even control my daughter. How did you get it?" She bit her lip and said nothing. She would never betray Jon. "Well it doesn't matter. Ladies should not play with swords."

"I wasn't playing. And I'm not a lady either."

"And what were you going to do with this sword? Were you planning on impaling your sister?"

"Its name is _Needle_. I was just trying to learn. I asked Mycah to practice with me, but..." Her father hugged her, and she burst into tears again. "It was my fault, I asked him..."

"No daughter, no. It was the fault of the Hound and the Queen."

"I hate them all. The queen, the king, Joffrey and Sansa."

"Hate those who would hurt us, but don't hate your sister. You're different like day and night, but you need each other. And I need you both."

"I don't hate Sansa." It wasn't entirely true. "Really."

"Take" said her father holding _Needle_. She looked at the sword and caught it in fear, as if that was but a dream.

"Can I keep it? Really?" she said in disbelief.

"Yes, forever. If I took it, I'd have no doubt that in less than a week you'd have a spear hidden under the bed. But please don't kill your sister."

"I promise you," said Arya as her father left the bedroom.

The next day, she apologized to the septa and Fat Tom. Septa Mordane looked at her suspiciously but forgave her. At noon, her father summoned his entire household, including the guards and servants, to tell them that lord Stannis and his household would come to dinner that night, as he had invited him the day before. He reminded them to behave as expected from the household of the Hand of the King. At first, Arya thought he was saying it for her, but apparently it was aimed at all of them. Arya had not seen Lord Stannis before, but she knew he was the king's brother, and that already made her not like him.

In Winterfell, there was always one more seat at her father's table, and every day someone ate with them. Most of the time it used to be someone from Winterfell, like Ser Rodrik, Vayon Poole, Jory, Septa Mordane or even old Tata. Other times, it was one of her father's vassals. She remembered Great Jon Umber and his thunderous laughter, Wyman Manderly, with his huge belly occupying the same as two men or Roose Bolton, whose gaze always gave her chills. Her favorite visits were those of Lady Mormont and her daughters, warrior women from Bear Island. Once, Arya had asked her father to send her to bear island as a pupil of the Mormonts, but her mother dissuaded him, saying she would never learn to behave like a true lady there. There was nothing Arya loved more than sitting at her father's table and listening to the stories his guests told. But that was in Winterfell and everything was different there. Arya wondered if those guests would now be replaced by Queen Cersei, Joffrey, the Kingslayer or some other member of the large Lannister family. Just the thought that she would have to eat with a Lannister every day made her nauseous.

When the guests arrived, Arya observed that most of Lord Stannis' guard was made up of Dornish soldiers who wore the sigil of the sun and the spear embroidered on their doublets. There were also other guards who wore the emblem of the crowned stag of the Baratheons, although they were very few compared to the Dornish. Some of the latter sat next to her father's personal guard at the tables, but Arya did not see any dornishman sit next to a northerner.

Stannis Baratheon looked nothing like the king. He was thin and had a short beard and short hair. Moreover, unlike Lord Renly, whom she had seen on the Kingsroad, Stannis did not laugh, and his face remained constantly serious. He reminded her of her father to some extent, though Ned Stark did smile and laugh from time to time when he was among his subjects. His wife, Princess Arianne, was quite the opposite. She was not really a princess, her father had explained to her, as she was not the king's daughter, but the Martells were allowed to continue using the title of prince when they joined the Seven Kingdoms. When she entered the room holding onto Lord Stannis' arm, half of her father's guards were drunk looking at her. She was wearing a very provocative tight silk dress that showed all her curves. Poor Jory spent several seconds looking at her and occasionally gave her a fleeting look when he thought she didn't see him. Vayon Poole had his words cut short when he had to introduce her. Arya was so reminded of Queen Cersei that she could only hate her from the very moment she first saw her. Jeyne said something to Sansa about how Princess Arianne reminded her of one of Theon's girls. Sansa let out a giggle, but Arya didn't understand the joke.

Once they sat at the table, Arya was occupied the seat between her sister Sansa and Septa Mordane, while in front of her was Princess Arianne, sitting next to her father. She spent dinner talking to her father, and every now and then she would dedicate some compliment to Sansa and Arya, although she knew that when she spoke well about her, she did so out of courtesy. It's a fake, everyone in this town are liars.

"... she's ugly. She is said to have greyscale" she heard Sansa whisper to Jeyne Poole. She covered her mouth to disguise her giggles.

"What are you talking about?" said Arya outraged. "I know I'm ugly, but I don't have greyscale! Stop making things up!"

Sansa fell silent and was completely pale and suddenly Arya realized that all eyes on the table were fixed on them. Her father was angry, and Lord Stannis looked at them with a grim face.

"I don't think she was talking about you, girl, but about my daughter Shireen, weren't you, Lady Sansa?" said Princess Arianne. She also noticed the anger in her face and tone of voice.

"I- I'm sorry my lady... I di-didn't want to..." stuttered her sister. Arya was somewhat pleased to see her sister so ashamed, though she dared not to smile.

"You didn't want me to hear you, did you?" Her sister paled even more. She was as white as milk. "Solving your doubts, no, my daughter doesn't have greyscale, not anymore, although she suffered the disease when she was younger, and she is disfigured because of it. You shouldn't care so much about other peoples looks, girl, at the end of the day beauty is one of the least important things in this world."

"Apologize, Sansa," her father ordered her.

"I'm sorry my lady, I've been very rude. It was not proper of a lady," said Sansa with a spinning of voice. She didn't speak again for the rest of the dinner and left as soon as dessert was over. Arya left soon after. By then, most of the guards were half-drunk. The alcohol seemed to have reconciled the northerners and the dornishmen and watched as Jory wrestled a muscular and tall woman. Arya was surprised that there were women warriors in the capital, but then she remembered the stories of warrior queen Nymeria and wondered if there would be more like her in the arid Southern kingdom.

Two days later, her father's butler woke her up shortly after dawn and sent Arya to a secluded courtyard behind the Tower of the Hand. There a tall, sturdy man with stiff brown hair tied in a braid was waiting for her. He was holding a spear and had a whip tied to his waist. When he turned around, Arya saw that it was not a man, but the woman she had seen when she had seen in the dinner two days earlier.

"You're late. Tomorrow, I want you to be here at dawn," the woman said with some irritation in her voice. She had a strong Dornish accent, but Arya was reminded of one of the female warriors on Bear Island.

"Who are you?" asked Arya.

"Your teacher. Your father was looking for someone to instruct you in the art of the sword, so my cousin thought it was a good idea to recommend me" she said as she gritted her teeth. "The truth is, I prefer the spear, but your father was convinced. I think he thought I'd be kinder to you for being a woman. I'm sorry to tell you he's wrong, so I hope you're up to my training."

"Aren't you going to give me a practice weapon?" said Arya a bit excited.

The woman let out a laugh. "There'll be time for that, but right now, it wouldn't do any good to give you a weapon if you can't hold it. You're all bones, the first thing is to get in shape."

"I already am!" retorted Arya angrily. "My brother says I can run for hours without getting tired""

"Are you?" said the woman with a mocking smile. "Then you won't mind running a hundred laps in the yard."

"Now? But I haven't even had breakfast," Arya protested.

"You'll do it later. When you fight, the enemy is not going to wait for you to eat and rest, so try to be ready all the time."

Arya tried to continue protesting, but her pleas fell in deaf ears, so she had no choice but to run as her teacher had ordered her. She ran a hundred laps and, from time to time, was ordered to do push-ups or sit-ups. When she finally completed them, she was exhausted and all the muscles in her body hurt.

"Not bad, girl. Most of the people I've trained haven't gone past the first day," smiled the huge woman as she looked at her lying on the ground. "Perhaps I can make a warrior out of you."


	9. Eddard II

**Eddard II**

"If you want me to tell you the truth, Lord Arryn did not seem the same in recent times" Grand Maester Pycelle said. "For years we were sitting together on the council and at the time I attributed it to the huge workload on his shoulders. All the responsibilities of the kingdom fell upon him, and not only that. His son is very sick, and his wife was always worried about the poor child. I'm sure that was enough to tire anyone, or so I thought back then. Now I'm not so sure."

"What can you tell me about the disease that killed him?" asked Ned.

"One day he came to ask me for a certain book. He was as healthy as ever, but he seemed very worried. From what I know, he came here after talking to Lord Stannis and his wife. The next day he writhed in pain. Maester Colemon tried to treat him, but Lord Arryn kept getting worse and worse, so I went to treat him myself. Unfortunately, all my knowledge did not help to save him."

"I know you expelled Maester Colemon."

"Yes, he is a good man and very wise, but young, and often young people do not understand the fragility of an old body. I feared that his treatment would've killed Jon Arryn."

"Did Jon Arryn say anything in his last hours?"

"In his delirium, he repeated Robert's name several times, but I don't know if he meant the king or his son" Pycelle said with a frown. "He also whispered something to his wife, _the seed is strong,_ I believe were his words. It must have been some kind of blessing to his son."

"Did you notice anything unnatural in his death?"

"Unnatural?" The elder maester's voice was a whisper that Ned could hardly hear.

"His wife Lysa thinks it may have been due to the poison. And she doesn't seem to be the only one who thinks that way."

"Forgive my rudeness, my lord, but tragedies can wreak havoc even in the strongest minds. And Lady Arryn's never has been one. Since she came to the capital, she's always seen enemies everywhere. Who else thinks Lord Arryn was poisoned?"

"Lady Tyene seems to believe the same as Lady Lysa, " replied Ned.

"Ah, you mean Tyene Sand." Pycelle cleared his throat as he stroked his thick beard. "Being the daughter of a murderer does not make her an expert in medicine, my lord, let alone with her youth. A maester knows the most common poisons and I can assure you that Lord Arryn's symptoms did not correspond to any of them. Besides, what kind of monster would dare to murder such a noble person?"

"I understand that poison is a woman's weapon."

"Yes..." considered Pycelle. "Of women, of cowards and of snakes." He cleared his throat again and spat out the window. "Do not trust the Martells, my lord. They have always been the most loyal servants of the Targaryens, and I am concerned that their tricks may have corrupted the honorable Lord Stannis. Since he married Princess Arianne, he's never been the same again. Now, every time he opens his mouth, I get the feeling that it's his wife who speaks through it."

"I will take into account your counsel, maester" It wasn't like he needed to be told about it. Stannis still appeared to him the same as always, but there was something about Arianne Martell that made him distrust her. Nevertheless, he had agreed that one of her cousins would train Arya, although perhaps he should rethink it. "I thank you for your help. If you could lend me the book Jon Arryn asked of you, you'd do me a great favor" Ned said as he got up.

"I don't think you'll be too interested in it" Pycelle said. "It's a very tedious book about the lineage of the great houses of Westeros."

"I'd like to see it, anyway."

"As you wish" said the old man as he got up laboriously and walked him to the door. "As soon as I find it, I'll have it sent to your rooms."

"You've been very kind to me" said Ned.

"Come to me whenever you need it, Lord Stark. I am here to serve the kingdom, after all."

He was going back to his rooms when he met his daughter Arya in the courtyard at the back of the Tower of the Hand. The girl was running around the enclosure and the bare stone had filled her bare feet with chafing. Next to her ran Obara Sand, who encouraged her and gave her water when she saw the girl start to gasp. Ned stared at them until they noticed their presence.

"Father" greeted his daughter.

"Lord Stark" said the imposing woman.

"What were you doing?" asked Ned without being able to contain a smile.

"Obara says that Dornish soldiers can run for hours through the desert under the scorching sun without drinking a drop of water" his daughter replied with a smile from ear to ear.

"And is it imperative that you do it barefoot? You're going to hurt yourself."

"It's to harden them" replied Arya as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Besides, I don't have shoes to train, if I put on my shoes, I'd tear the soles apart. Father, is Bran coming south to live with us?"

"He won't come until he regains his strength, and it may not be for a long time."

The night the raven from Winterfell arrived, Ned took his daughters to the godswood of the castle. They knelt before a great oak tree as if it were a weirwood and thanked the Old Gods.

"He wanted to be a knight of the Kingsuard" Arya told him. "Can he still be one?"

"No" replied Obara for him. "Almost better so, seeing how low the white knights have fallen recently."

"She's right" Ned added. There was no point in lying to her. "But someday he may become lord of a great castle, and he may even sit in the Small Council. He could even become High Septon if he decides to accept the faith of the Seven."

_But he'll never be able to run or climb again_ , he thought sadly. _Or feel the happiness of seeing his child born_.

"Can I also have a great castle, or be a counselor of the king? Or I could even be a member of the Kingsguard, instead of Bran. It's not the same, but I know you'd be proud of me" Arya said quietly.

Ned leaned over and gave her a kiss.

"You will marry a great lord, rule in his castle, and your children may become Knights of the Kingsguard."

"No, that is for Sansa" she said with a grimace. "Obara has told me that in Dorne women can also rule castles, and even be soldiers. Can I go with her to Dorne when she goes back?"

"I don't think your mother will like it; you know how sad she is to be away from you, and I don't want to send you further away from her."

His daughter looked at him angrily and started running again.

"Prince Stannis was looking for you, Lord Stark. He came here looking for you a few hours ago, but since you weren't here, he told me to let you know if I saw you" Obara Sand said. "He told me he'd be in his quarters, if you need me to point the way for you..."

"You don't have to" said Ned. "I know the way."

At the time, all Ned wanted to do was take a bath and get some rest until it was time for dinner, but he still went back from where he had come from and headed to Stannis Baratheon's rooms. Several Dornish guards greeted him when he arrived at the rooms of the king's brother's household. A young squire, who would not be many years older than Bran, asked Ned to follow him. The boy was thin, square-faced, brown eyed and his brown hair was thin and fussy. He did not look like a dornishman, which he confirmed when he saw that he was not wearing the Martell badge like the rest of the guards, but the Crowned Stag of the Baratheons. In addition, a strange black boat was also embroidered, but Ned was unable to identify the house to which the strange sigil belonged to.

"My lord, the Hand of the King has come" the young man introduced him when they arrived in Stannis' room. The stay was warm, and the only one present was Stannis Baratheon. Ned sighed relieved. _At least I don't have to deal with Princess Arianne or Lady Tyene._ Stannis was sitting reading several letters he had piled up on the side of the table.

"I can see that" said Stannis, raising his sight. "You can retire Devan." The boy, who apparently was called Devan, bowed and leaved closing the door behind him.

"I can offer you wine. Or water with lemon if you prefer, Lord Hand."

"No thanks" replied Ned as he sat down. "Why did you want to see me?"

"I'll go straight to the point. I hear you've been asking questions about Jon Arryn's death."

"Yes" Ned replied, guarding his words. "He was my mentor when I was young, so his death has shocked me remarkably. I'd just like to know how he spent his last hours in this world."

"I've been serving on the Small Council for over a decade, Lord Stark. I know when someone lies to me" replied an irritated Stannis.

_This man doesn't mess around with games_ , Ned thought, _but can I trust him?_

"From what I've been told, Jon Arryn was in good health, even for his age. I suspect his death may not have been due to natural causes. I was investigating if my suspicions were based."

"Jon Arryn was poisoned, Lord Stark. You can be sure of that" Stannis said.

"The Grand Maester seemed to have the opposite opinion, my lord."

"Tyene Sand told me and my wife that it was poison the very moment that he fell ill. And I trust her much more in this matter than Pycelle."

_Every time he opens his mouth, it is his wife who speaks through him,_ Pycelle had told him, and Littlefinger warned him of the same thing days before.

"The poison that killed him is called the Tears of Lys. You can look for its symptoms if you don't trust me, Lord Stark. You will see that they match those suffered by Lord Arryn" Stannis continued as if he was reading his thoughts.

"If you're so sure of it. Why didn't you tell Robert? Why keep it a secret?"

"And what evidence would I present, Lord Stark? I doubt Tyene's word would have more value than that of the Grand Maester."

"Lady Arryn thinks the same as you. That he was poisoned by the Lannisters. If you both tell Robert, maybe..."

"It's still my word and that of a madwoman against that of the queen, the Kingslayer and all the power of Casterly Rock. Robert has given Jaime Lannister the title of Warden of the East and took Dragonstone from me to give to Ser Stafford, a distant uncle of Cersei, until Joffrey is old enough. Honestly, who do you think he will listen to in this matter?"

"Who poisoned him?" Ned had to know everything. If the Lannisters killed Jon Arryn and then tried to kill Bran in Winterfell, his family was in grave danger.

"I don't know for sure, though I believe the same as Lysa Arryn. No one else could want him death but them" replied Stannis coldly.

"But... Jon was Hand of the King for fourteen years. Why kill him now?" His heart was beating at full speed. For an instant, all Eddard Stark wanted was to return to Winterfell with his daughters and forget about conspiracies and murders. But the Lannisters had tried to kill his son and he had to stop them before it was too late.

Stannis rubbed his temples, as if whatever he was going to tell him was the kingdom's best-kept secret.

"Neither Joffrey, nor Tommen nor Myrcella are my brother's children. They're all Cersei's bastards" Stannis said impassively.

Ned was puzzled at the revelation. It was true that none of them looked much like Robert, and they all seemed to have inherited their mother's traits, but Ned still found it crazy.

"It is true that they do not look much like Robert. But some children just look like one of the parents. You have seen my daughter Sansa. She looks nothing like me" Ned replied incredulously. "How are you so sure they're not your brother's children?"

"Jon Arryn and I have been seeing my brother's bastards, he's got several all over the kingdom, mostly in the capital. They all had my brother's black hair, no matter who the mother was."

"Was Jon Arryn investigating the matter with you? Is that why they killed him?"

"The day before he was murdered, he informed me that he had the evidence we needed in a book. _Lineages and stories of the great houses of the_ _Seven Kingdoms,_ I recall that he told me its name was, but I never got to see it. We were going to tell Robert everything, but they poisoned him before we could do it."

"If what you say is true, then you are Robert's heir" said Ned dryly.

"Yes, but I don't care about that. I don't want the throne; I've never wanted it. And Robert is still young enough to marry again and father legitimate children."

"Why do you tell me and not your brother Renly or some other council member?"

"Because I don't trust them. Pycelle has been serving the Lannisters faithfully for decades. And in Littlefinger and Varys I don't trust even the slightest bit. As for Renly... He's been thinking about marrying Robert to a Tyrell for months. And believe me, I'm not taking the kingdom away from Tywin Lannister to give it to Mace Tyrell. No, I hate to admit this, but you're the only person I can trust in the council, Lord Stark."


	10. Sansa I

**Sansa I**

A gigantic knight galloped past them like an avalanche. It was the first day of the Hand’s Tourney, and Sansa had come with Jeyne Poole and septa Mordane. Tents had been set up outside the city by the river, and the common folk came in the hundreds to attend the Tourney. Everything was as Sansa had imagined: the shiny armors, the great stallions, the banners waving in the wind... and the knights.

Sansa saw on horseback the heroes she had only heard about in songs: Ser Jaime Lannister, in his white cape but dressed entirely in gold, Lord Yohn Royce, with his bronze armor that had magic runes engraved, or Ser Barristan the Bold, dressed in an all-white armor. There were also many free riders and squires from all over the kingdom to whom no one had written songs or performed great feats. There were also young sons of great lords such as Ser Andar Royce, son and heir to Yohn Bronze, Horas and Hobber Redwyne, the two sons of Lord Paxter of the Arbor and also Ser Loras Tyrell, who was called the knight of flowers. He was only sixteen years old and the youngest knight in the Tourney, but he was by no use the most inexperienced. With his youth he had already won major Tourneys, such as the Tourney for Prince Joffrey's name day, earlier that year.

Jory, Alyn and Harwin represented Winterfell. The Hound also participated in the jousting, as well as the king's brother, the attractive Lord Renly, lord of Storm’s End. Sansa wished that he had come to dinner with them nights ago, rather than the unfriendly Lord Stannis and his wife. Sansa was still nervous just remembering that night and the shame she had gone through. It had all been Arya's fault for meddling in their conversation and screaming for everyone to hear. _I should forget it, when I marry Joffrey no one will dare to pick on me_ , _not even the princess_ _of Dorne._

However, she became pale as soon as she saw the place they had been assigned in the stands. Behind them sat Arianne Martell and her husband, who could not even hide the discomfort in his face from having to go to the Tourney. _If they didn't want to come, why did they? Why couldn’t they stay in the Red Keep?_

The septa Mordane and Jeyne bowed to them before sitting down, but Sansa sat down immediately without even looking at them. The septa made a gesture of disapproval to Sansa when she sat down, indicating that such behavior was not appropriate of a great lady. Her father was sitting in the royal box, below the queen, so at least he would not have to engage in conversation with the Dornish princess. Nor was Arya to embarrass her, because she had dance classes that day, even though tomorrow she would go, or so her father had told her.

The jousting lasted all day until the sunset came in. The horse's hooves left the field turned into a barren of torn earth. Sansa and Jeyne screamed several times as the riders collided and the spears leaped into the air, but Lord Stannis and Princess Arianne did not do it even once and the few times they said anything was to whisper something between the two of them. Sansa could not understand how they could be married, with how different they seemed from eachother, although she then thought of King Robert and Queen Cersei and wondered if these marriages between such different people were common in the South. Jeyne looked away every time a knight fell, but Sansa was tougher, as a great lady had to know how to behave in a Tourney. _I'm not a baby, I can't behave like one,_ she said to herself. But she didn't know if it was herself she was trying to convince or Princess Arianne. She could feel her gaze fixed on her, waiting for her to make a mistake so she could reproach her, but Sansa didn't intend to give her that satisfaction.

Jaime Lannister's performance was exceptional, knocking down one rider after another. He even defeated the grey-haired Barristan Selmy, who had defeated men he doubled or even tripled in age.

The Hound and his gigantic brother, Ser Gregor, who people called the Mountain that Rides, also seemed invincible. The scariest moment of the day occurred when Ser Gregor hit a young knight of the Vale under the gorget of the armor with such strength that the spear pierced in his throat and killed him. The knight fell a few steps away from where they were. He still had the spear splinter stuck in his neck and blood was flowing from the wound as if it were a fountain. The earth turned reddish as the blood soaked it.

Jeyne burst into tears hysterically and the septa Mordane had to take her away to regain her composure, leaving Sansa alone there. It was the first time she'd seen anyone die. She knew she should be crying like Jeyne, but for her the knight lying dead there was nobody. She didn't even remember his name.

"Ser Hugh of the Vale" said a voice beside her, where Jeyne used to be sitting. Princess Arianne had left her seat beside her husband and had sat next to Sansa during the shock that had caused the young knight’s death. In her hand she had a bowl of fresh grapes that she was eating from time to time. Its juice spilled down her lips every time she opened her mouth. "Poor thing, he had just been knighted. Tourneys aren't as wonderful as you expected?"

Sansa did not respond to her comment. The princess's melodious voice seemed so false that she was feeling nauseous just by hearing her. _Why can't you leave me alone?_

"Another victim to add to noble Ser Gregor’s list. I wonder how many he has already killed" sighed the princess as she was playing with a grape between her fingers.

"It was an accident" Sansa said with a whisper without knowing very well what had prompted her to answer.

"You think so, don't you? That the good Ser Gregor has had his spear deflected right to the point where that poor bastard hadn't adjusted his armor well. If so, you're far more stupid than I thought you were."

"Why are you so cruel to me? I haven’t done anything to you" Sansa said with a tiny voice. "You don't behave as a lady should."

"Well, I'm a princess, not a lady, and you'll see that no one here behaves the way they should. Do you know what the brave Ser Gregor did during the rebellion?" Sansa shook her head. "He was part of Lord Tywin's army when he sacked King's Landing at the end of the war. When your father was still crossing the city’s gates, the Mountain was climbing Maegor’s Holdfast, where my aunt and cousins were. My cousin Aegon had his head smashed like it was an orange, and he did the same with my Aunt Elia, but not before raping her. Believe me, I saw their bones before they were buried." At that moment, she squeezed the fruit between her fingers so hard that it burst. The juice splashed Sansa's face and part of it got into her eye.

Sansa threw up her breakfast without being able to restrain herself. She could not see the rest of the onlookers looking at her, but she heard their comments and their laughter, believing that her discomfort was due to Sir Hugh's death. The princess got up and accompanied her out of the stands without Sansa having the strength to deny her. As they left, servants quickly passed in front of them with rags to clean up her vomit.

When they were finally alone behind the stands, the princess offered Sansa a glass of cold wine. Sansa didn't know where she got it from, or maybe she'd had it all this time, but she swallowed it anyways. Inadvertently, Sansa had started crying.

"Why are you like that with me?" she asked the princess between sobs. "What have I done for you to humiliate me this way every time we meet?"

"I didn't mean to humiliate you, child. It's true that I wanted to scare you with that story, but I didn't expect you to throw up in front of everyone. I'm sorry for that."

Sansa didn't believe any of her words. "It's not true. You don't regret it in the least. You are cruel."

"I hope you never have to realize what true cruelty is, child. Although if you're going to marry that little monster, it won’t take long before you discover it."

"Joffrey is no monster. And when I'm married to him, you won't dare insult me or humiliate me again" Sansa said angrily. "You won't even be able to call me a child again, you'll have to bow to me and call me _Your Grace_. You're only jealous of me because I'm going to marry my Prince Charming while you've married an ugly, half-bald man."

"It must be the freezing cold of the north, which have frozen your brain. Otherwise, I can't explain how you northerners can be so naive," she said as she rubbed her temples. "Come on _, Your Grace,_ let's go back before your father notices your absence and starts to worry."

She grabbed her by the arm and practically dragged her back into her seat. Arianne Martell did not sit with Lord Stannis again, but stood by Sansa's side. Luckily, she didn't speak to her again for the rest of the day. By then they had removed Ser Hugh's body and the jousting had resumed. She had come back at just the right time to witness the Hound knock down Lord Renly so hard that he was thrown from his horse. Luckily, Renly got up without any scratches without counting one of the antlers of his helmet, which had been broken.

“If he goes on like this, one day he's going to get himself killed” Stannis said with contempt behind her. But the people, on the other hand, seemed excited about the big show and cheered on Renly when he got up. Soon after, septa Mordane returned, though she did so alone. She told her that Jeyne was not well and had returned to the castle. With everything that had happened, Sansa didn't even remember her. At the end of the day there were only four left: The Hound and his brother, Ser Jaime Lannister and Ser Loras Tyrell.

Ser Loras Tyrell, who was called the Knight of Flowers, was the most handsome man she had ever seen. He had a green armor adorned with golden flowers, and the white steed he rode wore a blanket of white and red roses. Every time he got a win, he threw a white rose at one of the ladies in the crowd.

When he finished his last joust of the day, he took a red rose from his steed, and approached Sansa. _A red rose, the others have been given a white one_. When he stopped in front of her, she believed that her heart was going to come out of her chest.

"How is your brother, Ser Loras? I hope he's already better of his leg" Princess Arianne said. Sansa turned and saw that she had an evil smile drawn on her face.

Ser Loras looked at her with a frown and his face turned red with anger. He threw the rose to the ground before Sansa could catch it and the horse trampled over it when Sir Loras walked away from the stands. Sansa looked at the trampled rose and imagined how wonderful it would have been that day if the evil Arianne Martell wasn't there.

When night fell and the crowd began to tire, the king decreed that the last jousts would take place the next day, after the archery tourney. The crowd dispersed and the court headed to the large tents for that night's banquet.

Sansa sighed relieved when she saw the places assigned to her and septa Mordane, to the left of the raised stand where the king, queen and most important guests were. Princess Arianne and her husband were right on the opposite side, so she had nothing to worry about. Suddenly, Prince Joffrey sat next to her. She hadn't spoken to him since what happened in the Trident. At first, Sansa believed she hated him, but she realized that the one she really hated was the queen and Arya, it was because of her that Lady had died. She couldn't hate Joffrey, let alone that night, he was too attractive with his dark doublet with embroidered golden lion heads. Sansa shuddered, fearful that Joffrey would despise her and tell her something unpleasant as Princess Arianne had done that very afternoon.

However, Joffrey smiled and kissed her hand, like the princes of the songs.

"Ser Loras cannot recognize true beauty, my lady. If he could, he would have given you that red rose without hesitation."

"It's not his fault. He was going to, but your aunt said some hurtful words to him” Sansa said, recalling what happened.

"My aunt is like that. My father says it's because she's got Dornish blood, the blood of traitors. But as far as I know, she's going to be leaving for Dorne in a few days, so you won't have to worry about her anymore" the smiling prince said. "When I'm king, I won't allow her or any of her family to be called princes anymore. That title should be reserved to our children, don't you think so?"

Sansa was greatly pleased to hear that news. _Joffrey will make all my problems disappear: Princess Arianne, Arya..._ Later, she would not remember the rest of the evening, for she had been blown away by the luxury and splendor of dinner, enthralled by the wonders she had dreamed of since she was a child. Sansa spent the night talking to Joffrey, who was the vivid image of courtesy. He filled her with compliments, made her laugh and told her all the court gossips. Meanwhile, the various dinner dishes were served. There were so many that, when they arrived at dessert, Sansa could not eat more than a couple of the lemon cupcakes that she loved so much.

As the hours passed, King Robert had been raising his voice. Sometimes, he laughed loudly and roared orders above the music. At the time, he had a young lady sitting on his knees. The young woman, blonde and with skin as white as milk laughed every time the king whispered something in her ear or put some cupcake in her mouth. Next to him, the queen rose from the table, picked up her skirts and left the banquet, followed by half a dozen servants and her brother Jaime, who was still in the golden armor he had worn in the jousts.

Soon after, the king did the same, carrying in his arms the young lady he was hanging out with moments before as he stumbled across the way. The rest of those present looked confused without knowing whether they should stay or should retire as the king and queen had done. Lord Renly, Lord Stannis and many others gradually retired. Within a few moments, half the banks had been left empty. Sansa was startled when Joffrey put a hand on her arm.

"It's getting late" he said with a gloomy face. "Do you need company to return to the castle?"

"You don't have to" said a grave voice behind her back. Sansa turned and saw her father, with a serious expression on his face. "I'll take care of accompanying my daughter back to her rooms."

Joffrey retired without even saying goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading everyone! I hope there are no grammar or spelling mistakes... Well, quarantine is over so I have to get back to work, so updates will take a bit longer from now on. Worry not, this story will still be updated regulary, but instead of weekly updates now I'll probably update every two weeks approximately.
> 
> Take care everyone, and thanks for your reviews, I read every last one of them, although I don't usually reply.
> 
> See you in next chapter!


	11. Eddard III

**Eddard III**

"I depart at dawn, so excuse me if I don't want to waste more time than I need to think of that girl, Lord Stark," Stannis Baratheon said without even looking up to look at him.

"Robert plans to murder a girl. The girl isn't even fifteen, Robert will be dishonored forever!" cried Ned, trying to get Stannis to react.

"You say it as if my opinion is going to do any good, Lord Stark. If Robert didn't even listen to you this morning, I doubt I'd have better luck."

"This morning you didn't even protest the follies Robert said. You were quiet like the rest of the council when Varys proposed sending an assassin to kill her."

"And what did you expect me to do? When my brother ordered me to take Dragonstone almost fifteen years ago, I knew full well that his intention was not to take the surviving Targaryen as prisoners. You saw how Rhaenys and Aegon ended up."

"So, do you agree with what Robert intends to do? Do you defend infanticide?"

"No!" sighed Stannis when he finally looked up to look Ned eye to eye. "But I've been serving my brother all my life and I know when it's impossible to change his mind. Supporting you before the rest of the council would only have brought me trouble."

"I still can't believe Robert's going to commit this madness" Ned said resignedly. "You know him better than anyone. Has so much changed since he ascended the throne?"

"I don't think so. In any case, it has only amplified his worst flaws. Besides, if you're so bothered by my brother's decision, then perhaps you should leave the position of Hand of the King."

"I've been about to do it, believe me. But how could I do it after what you told me about the Queen and the Kingslayer?"

"Do you believe me then?"

"I've been seeing the bastards you told me about. The blacksmith's assistant, Gendry, I think he was called, and also many of those he has fathered in the city's brothels. It is undeniable that they are the children of your brother. Gendry is exactly like Robert when he was young. And they all had your brother's black hair..."

"Do you understand now? Neither Joffrey nor Tommen nor Myrcella are my brother's children. You must tell Robert as soon as possible."

_It's Princess Arianne who speaks through him_. Pycelle, Littlefinger, Varys and even his brother Renly had warned him the same thing. Ned couldn't get those words out of his head, but it still didn't look like Stannis was lying about this. His suspicions about Robert's children seemed to have a solid foundation and his concern seemed sincere, but he continued to struggle to fully trust him or his wife. Despite everything, he trusted them much more than the Lannisters.

It wasn't the only issue he was worried about. Yoren, the man of the Night’s Watch, had informed him the night before of the matter of Catelyn and the Imp. No doubt the news would soon reach the ears of Robert and the Queen, and only the gods knew what they could do. _Robert is angry and will feel hurt in pride, even if he cares the least about Tyrion Lannister. And Cersei and the Kingslayer will want revenge for that affront against their family._ Without Stannis in the capital, all the responsibility to prevent this incident from escalating into a civil war rested in him. He couldn't trust Renly, Varys or Littlefinger to be able to stop Robert if he decided to commit another madness.

"Not for now, I need more proof. Despite all I know at the moment, they may still be Robert's children and we'll making a big mistake. Maybe the Lannister blood weighs as much as the Baratheon in one person. I have to know what Jon Arryn found in that book. Besides, with how much Robert got mad at me today, we should wait for his anger to pass before telling him anything."

"As you wish." Stannis shrugged. "I won't be back for several weeks. I think you should tell him before my return, but I leave it up to you. I intend to take much of the fleet with me, so if you need any particular ship to stay in port, I beg you to tell me now."

"No, I don't think I’m going to need any ships in the next few days. How many ships do you plan to take with you?" asked Ned curiously.

"Half of those who are docked in the city and in the shipyards of Dragonstone. Along with the part of the fleet already in Dorne should be more than enough to deal with that trash."

"So many? That's more than half the royal fleet!" said Ned in amazement.

"I'm not going to take any kind of risk. My father-in-law has informed me that these pirates and outlaws have settled in the Stepstones and their number grows every day that passes. The more ships I have, the faster I'll deal with them and the less loss I'll have. If I'm lucky, they might even run away without even presenting battle. In addition, my intention is to leave garrisons in the Steptones and incorporate them into the kingdom so that this does not happen again. It's something that should have been done decades ago, in the war of the Ninepenny Kings."

"Still..."

"The crews are ready and it's too late to change plans. If you think it's too much, you should have told me a few days ago. Anyway, there's still a good part of the fleet left in the capital, so you don’t need to worry, although I doubt that any fleet is going to attack it in my absence."

Eddard intended to continue the conversation, as he found the number of ships Stannis intended to use to deal with simple pirates truly excessive, however numerous these were. In addition, his intention to incorporate the Stepstones into the kingdom could cause a conflict with the free cities of Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh. However, their argument was interrupted when Princess Arianne stormed surprisingly into the room. She was soaked, causing the silk dress she was wearing to become transparent, practically leaving her naked, causing Ned to blush slightly.

"Stannis you have to go down to the yard, right now!" said the visibly worried princess, not concerned about her semi-nudity.

"Don't you see that I am in a meeting with the Hand of the King right now, Arianne? I'm sure that can wait a few minutes, right?" said Stannis annoyed.

"If thirty armed Lannister soldiers can wait a few minutes, then yes. But I doubt patience is one of the virtues of our unexpected guests."

"What?!" said Stannis startled as he got up and headed to the door at full speed. "What does all this mean?"

"I don't know, but they don't seem to be looking for any of us. I think they are here for something the Hand of the King has done" she said looking at Ned. "I don't think you should leave this room until things calm down, Lord Stark."

"No, it's because of me that you're here, I'm not going to hide. I'll try to do my best to calm the spirits, although if it's for what I imagine, there may be blood flowing in the Red Keep today. Let's hope we don't get to that."

"What do you mean, Lord Stark? What are you supposed to have done?" asked Stannis frowning.

"My wife took Tyrion Lannister prisoner in the Riverlands a few days ago. Although I didn't expect the news to reach the Lannisters' ears for at least a couple of days."

"The Seven know that I have no appreciation for the Lannisters, let alone the Imp, but what your wife has done is madness, Lord Stark. You can count on our swords to protect you today Lord Hand, but you must be very careful in the coming days" said Arianne Martell. Ned and Stannis left her in the room and went down the stairs to the yard.

When they went out into the yard, it had already darkened and the warm summer rain fell on their heads, into his eyes and drummed against the ground. Before them, it seemed about to begin a skirmish of terrible consequences. Ned spotted chainmails, gauntlets and steel helmets with golden lions on the crest. He did not have time to count them, but they would be around thirty, as Princess Arianne had told them. They were on foot and were armed with swords and spears. In front of them, a similar number of Dornish guards blocked the entry to the princess and Lord Stannis' quarters. He also spotted Wyl and Jory, who had accompanied him and were now among the orange-coated guards trying to prevent the Lannister soldiers from passing through.

"Back, all of you!" he heard Jory scream. "Scatter immediately!"

However, the Lannister soldiers ignored his warnings, and some dared to draw their swords from the sheath. This in turn provoked a reaction in the Dornish guards, who did the same with their own.

"The wolves howl" commented the leader of the Lannister guards. The rain was running down his face, but Ned immediately identified Jaime Lannister dressed in his golden armor. "But they are very few and have to take refuge among the spears of the desert."

"What does this mean?" said Stannis as he advanced towards him step by step, full of anger. "I am the king's brother and Master of Ships; what do you think you are doing?"

"Yes, I suppose those titles haven't been taken from you yet. Don't worry, I'm not here for you, but for the Hand of the King, back there" he said, pointing to Ned with a smile.

“You really are more stupid than I imagined if you think you could threaten the Hand of the King inside the walls of the Red Keep. Get out of here before my brother finds out about all this."

"I'm looking for my brother" Jaime Lannister said ignoring Stannis' warnings. "You remember him, don't you, Lord Stark? He was with us in Winterfell. Blonde hair, sharp tongue, a little short..."

"I remember him perfectly" retorted Ned.

"Apparently he's had trouble along the way. My lord father feels insulted, just like me. You don't know what could have happened to my brother, do you?"

"Tyrion Lannister has been arrested on my orders. He has crimes to answer for" Eddard Stark said. Stannis looked at him with a frown, as if trying to keep him quiet.

The Kingslayer drew his sword. Stannis recoiled and a wall of Dornish spears prevented Jaime Lannister from moving further towards them.

"Get out of your refuge, Lord Stark, and fight steel against steel with me. I wouldn't want to pour any more blood than I need to get to you." He cast Stannis a cold look of disdain. "Withdraw your guards if you do not want this to become a massacre, Lord Stannis. Don't think a few spears can stop me."

Many eyes had stopped to see what was happening, and a considerable crowd was beginning to form around the yard, but no one was willing to intervene. The Martell guards were as numerous as the Lannisters, so Ned didn't know which way the battle would go, if it finally happened. However, Ned was still confident that this matter could be resolved without reaching such extremes.

"If you ever kill me, Catelyn won't hesitate to kill Tyrion in retaliation. And I doubt that Prince Doran will find it very funny that Dornish blood is poured under the protection of the king.”

Suddenly, the crowd watching the events dispersed and several guards dressed in gray appeared. Ned saw that it was the rest of his personal guard, the one he had left stationed in the Hand’s Tower before coming to talk to Stannis. Ned wondered how they had learned so quickly about what was going on, but their doubts were resolved when he saw that Tyene and Obara Sand were among them. He also recognized his daughter Arya, next to the imposing woman.

"I made sure Tyene went to warn your guard as soon as I saw what was going on. I'm glad she hurried up" a voice said behind him. Arianne Martell had ended up coming down to the yard as well, though she had put on a cloak to cover herself for the rain.

"Prince Doran did not take revenge for what happened to Princess Elia, so I doubt he will do it for a dozen unnamed soldiers. And I don't think the honorable Catelyn Tully is going to murder a helpless hostage either." Jaime Lannister looked around and let out a sigh. "But I will not risk my brother's life by trusting in the honor of your wife. And I'm not going to risk my men's lives like this either." Jaime shed his sword and turned around. When he was behind the men's line, he looked back at Ned. "Go tell Robert the little scare I've given you, though I don't think he will care much. I'd be very careful around the Red Keep for the next days, Lord Stark. Those Dornish spears won't always be here to protect you or your family. An unfortunate accident could unexpectedly happen any day."

The soldiers dispersed and Ned sighed relieved, though not without some concern for the last words the Kingslayer had said.

"I'm going to go inform Robert of what happened right now. These threats can't go unpunished. I'll leave some of my men with you if you need it before I leave tomorrow" Stannis said worried.

"I thank you for that, Lord Stannis. Although I'd like you and your wife to do me a little favor, if it's not too much trouble."


	12. Sansa II

**Sansa II**

Sansa was in the throne room gallery along with the rest of the ladies and lords of the court as she watched her father dispatch the petitioners from the imposing Iron Throne of Aegon the Conqueror. The imposing throne rose before her like a monstrosity of iron and steel. Aegon was said to have forged it with the thousands of swords of his fallen enemies. Seeing her father sitting there solemnly made her imagine Joffrey instead, dressed in his elegant suits and a crown over his head. She'd be by his side, helping him in everything he asked for.

"Are you sure they weren't mere bandits?" asked Lord Renly as he yawned from the council table, located under the throne. It was obvious that he didn't want to be there.

That took Sansa out of her dreams and returned her to the real world. She had been standing there for several hours, along with the septa Mordane, and she was getting more and more bored. Jeyne had stayed in the Tower of the Hand and Sansa was beginning to regret not doing the same thing, but she did not want to miss the court gossip. So far, only issues of inter-village disputes had been discussed and boundaries between the lands of one or the other lord. A Black Brother had also come to ask for men for the Night's Watch, though he looked nothing like her uncle Benjen. This one was old, disgusting and his back hunched over. As no knight offered to join the Guard, her father had told him that he could choose the men he wanted from the dungeons. Now, they were dealing with a bandit thing in the Riverlands or something like that.

However, despite boredom, Sansa could not remember a day when she had been happier. For a few days, life hadn't stopped smiling at her. For starters, Princess Arianne Martell and her husband had departed to Dorne a few days ago. Her father told her that Lord Stannis would take several weeks to return and that when he did, his wife may not accompany him back to the capital. From what was rumored in court, Princess Arianne was rarely in the capital accompanying her husband, and most of the year she preferred to stay in Sunspear with the rest of her family. In fact, from what they said, this had been one of her longest stays in the capital.

And yet, that wasn't even the best news that had happened that week. Just the night before the Dornish left the capital, her father had informed her sister Arya that she would go to Dorne with them, to become a lady-in-waiting for Princess Shireen, the ugly daughter of Stannis Baratheon and Arianne Martell. Her father had told them that in principle it would only be for a few months, until things calmed down in King's Landing, but Sansa hoped it would not, and those weeks would become years. _I hope she stays in that arid desert forever. That way he won't meddle between me and Prince Joffrey again._ Indeed, since they had reached King's Landing, they had grown apart even more. While Sansa rubbed shoulders with the royal court and attended banquets and Tourneys, Arya rarely attended and spent more and more time in her dance lessons, which were lengthening more and more as days went by.

She still remembered the last time they had seen each other, the day they said goodbye at the docks when Arya sailed for Dorne along with much of the Royal Fleet. Her father had given her a long hug and she had even cried for a long time. She had also given Jory, Fat Tom and even septa Mordane a hug. However, Arya had only said goodbye to her, and she even avoided making eye contact with her, although Sansa did not make any attempt to get her to do so either.

Even when she was leaning out at the stern of the ship and though she was saying goodbye to them with exaggerated gestures, Sansa had the feeling that none of them were heading towards her. _Well, I'm not going to miss her either,_ Sansa thought.

"With the permission of your grace..." was saying one of the villagers. A plump, bald one that looked like a bartender. He had mentioned his name before, but Sansa had not paid attention to him.

"His Grace is in his resting quarters. I am Lord Eddard Stark, the Hand of the King. Tell me who you are and what you know about those bandits" her father cut him off.

Sansa had learned that King Robert was going hunting in the kingswood because it was said that an imposing white deer had been seen. Preparations had even been made for him and most of the court knights and even Prince Joffrey to go on that important hunt. However, a couple of days ago, the king had woken up with a severe stomachache, so the hunt had been suspended until he recovered. With how much the king ate and drank, Sansa was not as surprised that he had stomach problems, in fact, she was surprised that his guts had not burst even with how fat he was. Every time she saw him, he reminded her of Lord Wyman Manderly of White Harbor, who was so fat that he couldn't even ride horses, so he had to be carried in a bunk bed. Sansa winced by just reminding him.

Except for Lord Stannis and the Grand Maester Pycelle, who was treating the king of his stomach pain, the rest of the counselors were present listening to the peasants' requests, though by their faces, none seemed to want to be there, not even her father, who kept changing his position, as if he were uncomfortable sitting on the throne.

The peasants continued to tell her father and the council how some riders had razed their villages and killed their families and friends. Sansa thought it was horrible and wondered what kind of monster could do such a terrible thing. There were also three knights, vassals of house Tully, accompanying the terrified villagers. The knights accused the Lannisters of razing the village, but apparently had no evidence that could prove that this was their work, as the riders had no emblem or banner. Sansa was glad that there was no Lannister present in the throne room that day, as lately they had become very temperamental. Just a week ago, Sir Jaime Lannister had tried to duel to the death with her father and there had almost been a clash between Lannister guard’s, Martell’s and Stark’s in one of the courtyards of the Red Keep. Sansa hoped that now that the Dornish had left, things would calm down in the city.

"It hurts me to tell you this, my lord" continued the bald man. "The armor they wore was simple, without any embellishment, but... The one who commanded them drew attention, not because of his armor, which was the same as the others, but because of his size. That man was a giant, big as an ox, and his voice rumbled like thunder."

"The Mountain!" exclaimed one of the knights, a certain Marq Piper. "Does anyone have any doubt that this has been the work of Gregor Clegane?"

Sansa had chills just listening to the name of The Mountain that Rides. She remembered what she had seen him do in the Tourney of the Hand and the horrific stories Princess Arianne had told her. If there was anyone capable of performing these atrocities, that could only be the monstrous Ser Gregor, Sansa had no doubt. Around her, everyone here began to murmur to each other and agitated nervously. Both the lords and the common folk understood what that meant, even Sansa knew it. Gregor Clegane was a vassal of Tywin Lannister. These villagers were accusing the great lord of Casterly Rock, the queen's father, of these murders, but Sansa found no reason for Joffrey's grandfather to order this atrocity. _Ser Gregor must have acted on his own, I'm sure he does so because he lost in the Tourney to Ser Loras._

"What exactly have you come to ask the throne?" asked Lord Baelish, the Master of Coin, as he leaned forward.

"The Lords of the Riverlands keep the king's peace" replied one of the knights. "The Lannisters have broken it, we ask permission to answer them, steel with steel. We're here to ask for justice. The elder Lord Hoster ordered us to come and ask the king's permission before counterattacking."

"My lord" said the eunuch Varys in a soft voice. "Wouldn't it be better to wait for the king to recover so that he could make a decision on such a serious matter?"

"King Robert ordered me to take this place and speak with his voice, and that's what I'm going to do. I will inform Robert of what has been said and done here today, and if my decision does not please him, he himself will revoke it."

"Do we have your permission then to take revenge against Ser Gregor?" asked Marq Piper.

"Revenge? No, revenge will not restore the king's peace. I cannot resurrect your dead or rebuild your houses, but I will show you a sample of King Robert's justice" her father replied. "In the name of Robert of house Baratheon, I dispossess Gregor Clegane of his lands, titles, and possessions, and sentence him to die. In the North we are ruled by the custom that the man who passes the sentence must also swing the sword, so that's what I'll do."

Sansa paled. She couldn't believe that her father was going to face that monster. As a child she had heard her father's stories during the Rebellion. How he defeated Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, in the Red Mountains, but she still couldn't help but to be afraid that her father would go face that giant.

"Lord Eddard!" The scream came from the other wing of the room. Ser Loras Tyrell stepped forward with daring pace. Without the armor, Sansa found him even more attractive. He was wearing green silk clothes with three embroidered gold roses. "I beg you for the honor of allowing me to accompany you in this task. I swear I won't let you down."

Sansa sensed that she was about to see one of the stories that Old Nan used to tell her when she was a child come to life. The Mountain was the monster and Ser Loras the brave hero who was going to kill him protecting her father.

"No one doubts of your courage, Ser Loras, but what you seek is revenge, and this is about justice. Lord Beric, Thoros of Myr, Sir Gladden and Lord Lothar." The named ones came forward one by one. "You will come with me to bring justice to Ser Gregor. Gather a group of twenty men each and we'll march tomorrow at dawn along with half of my personal guard. These things are better done quickly. The throne will not hear any more requests today."

Sansa couldn't believe it. Why had her father decided to refuse Ser Loras' help and take the fat priest in his place?

The Small Council collected their papers and dispersed, like most of the nobles and peasants in the galleries, many of them disappointed as they had been waiting a long time to put forward their requests to the Hand of the King. Sansa returned to the Tower of the Hand with the septa Mordane, while commenting on how disappointed she was with her father's decision. The septa replied that it was not her duty to question Lord Eddard's decisions, but that did not calm her down at all.

"Lord Beric is as hero as Sir Loras is, I'm sure he will be the one who ends up killing Sir Gregor" Jeyne said when Sansa told her what happened while they were having dinner that night. Jeyne had fallen in love with Lord Beric since seeing him at the Tourney. In Sansa's opinion, she was behaving like a fool because, however close they were in age, Jeyne was just a butler's daughter, so he would never notice her. Although Sansa didn't tell her out of courtesy.

"I dreamed it was Joffrey who killed him. That he accompanied my father and saved him from Sir Gregor, defeating him in a heroic fight, dressed in beautiful golden armor like his uncle Jaime" Sansa said.

"Have you dreamed it? Really? What else did you see in your dream?" asked Jeyne excitedly. She hadn't really dreamed it, it was more of a wish, but she thought it was better to express it that way.

"I don't remember much. There was a battle and little else" Sansa lied.

Before they could continue the conversation, the septa Mordane entered the room and approached Sansa.

"Your lord father has just returned and wants to see you right now in his room, Sansa. Finish dinner and go up as soon as you're done," said the septa.

Sansa finished dinner and went up to her father's rooms without even being able to try the lemon cupcakes for dessert. As she entered his quarters, Lord Eddard was sitting before a large book bound in leather, which he closed as soon as he heard her coming in.

"Come here, Sansa. Sit next to me" her father said kindly.

"Have you gone to see the king? What did he tell you?" asked Sansa politely.

"I've gone to see him, but I haven't been able to talk to him much. The grand maester told me that he had a problem in my intestines and that he needed to rest. You wouldn't have liked it, it smelled terrible."

"Do you really have to go face Sir Gregor, Father? Can't someone else, Sir Loras or even Lord Beric, go?" asked Sansa hastily, holding back tears.

"The one who passes the sentence must wield the sword, you know" replied her father in a grave voice. "Don't worry, I've faced fiercer fighters than Sir Gregor. I wanted to talk to you about another matter: I'm going to send you back to Winterfell."

"What? Please Father, please don't" said Sansa when she managed to assimilate his words. "I don't want to go back, I can't. I'm going to marry Prince Joffrey."

"Sorry daughter" sighed her father. "To arrange your marriage to Joffrey was a mistake, a grave mistake. That kid's not who you think."

"But I love him father, with all my heart. I love him as much as Queen Naerys loved Prince Aemon, as Jonquil loved Florian. I want to be his queen and give him a son who will be the greatest king who ever lived" Sansa pleaded as tears fell down her cheeks.

"Sansa is decided. In three days, you will embark with the septa Mordane and the guards who do not come with me to hunt Sir Gregor. Things are getting dangerous in the city and they'll get worse as soon as I get back and Robert recovers. Tomorrow we'll talk before I leave" her father said.

Sansa kept crying all the way back to her room. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe they were going to take everything away from her now that life was finally starting to smile at her. Now that she was finally where she wanted to be.

The next morning, she said goodbye to her father. Next to him were almost a hundred knights and soldiers who had gathered the lords who were going to leave with him during the previous day. Most of his guard and the Dornish soldiers who had joined him after the departure of the princess and Lord Stannis were with him. She did not hide her surprise when she saw that the Hound, Joffrey's sworn sword, also accompanied her father on the mission. She wondered if Joffrey would go with him too, but she could not see him among the rest of the knights.

As soon as he crossed the castle gates, Sansa sneaked out to go talk to Queen Cersei. She would have gone to tell King Robert, but he was still sick, and he was also quite rude. It was not very difficult to reach the queen's quarters without anyone seeing her considering the few guards left in the Tower of the Hand.

"Please" she pleaded Sir Meryn Trant, who was on duty in front of the Queen's quarters in the Maegor’s Holdfast. "I have to see the queen; this is a very urgent matter."

Sir Meryn did not let her pass, despite Sansa's insistence. He grabbed her by the arm and was about to take her back to the Tower of the Hand when the door opened and Queen Cersei came out.

"Let the little girl pass, Sir Meryn" said the queen kindly. Sir Meryn let her go and Sansa entered the room. Unlike their rooms in the Tower of the Hand, the queen's quarters were full of luxuries, with beautiful tapestries hanging from the walls and jewellery everywhere.

The queen asked her to calm down and sit in a chair next to a balcony from which she could see the whole city. She also served her some wine, although Sansa politely rejected it. Cersei listened to her and Sansa entrusted her with everything, all the plans her father had to send her back to Winterfell. The queen promised her that nothing would happen to her, and that she would do her best to keep her at King's Landing with her and Joffrey. Then Sir Meryn escorted her to a room in Maegor’s Holdfast and they wouldn't let her out of there for the rest of the day.

The next day, she heard screams and the noise of swords clashing in the castle yard. Sansa tried to go see what was going on, but they wouldn't let her leave the room. When night fell, guards brought Jeyne into the room, along with the clothes she had left in her rooms. Jeyne kept sobbing and babbling meaningless things. The dumb one kept asking about her father. Three days later, a large bell began ringing and soon was answered by others from the Sept of Baelor and Visenya’s Hill. The toll of the bells filled the whole city, like an omen of the coming storm. In the fourth day, they finally came for Sansa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there. So... things have escalated rather quickly. Ned is going after the Mountain and meanwhile Robert has died. The date is more or less the same as in OTL but I'd say that is the only thing in common. Apart from that, this will be the last chapter with a POV in King's Landing for a while. In the next chapters I'm planning on going with Arianne, Catelyn or Theon and Tyrion and explore the outcome of Robert's death and the war in the Riverlands mostly.
> 
> See you next time!


	13. Arianne III

**Arianne III**

It was a quiet night and the sky was completely clear, with no cloud visible on the horizon. The reflection of the moon could be seen clearly in the black waters as the _Fury_ advanced in the dark of night. She should be in her cabin, sleeping with Stannis, who had gone to bed early, but that night she couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard she tried. According to the oarmaster's forecasts, one of Ser Davos's sons, they would arrive in Sunspear that same night or well into the early morning. It had been several days since the fleet had passed the island of Estermont and two days ago they finally reached the Broken Arm. The deck of the gigantic war galley was practically deserted. Only she, the helmsman and a few sailors who had their night rounds were there.

She sat on the wooden floor with her back resting on one of the masts and raised her head to contemplate the starry sky. _How many,_ Arianne thought. She wondered if anyone else would be seeing that wonderful view. She imagined Eddard Stark, thoughtful in the Red Keep while his best friend was debating between life and death. Tywin Lannister, expectant with his hosts in the Golden Tooth without knowing the storm that was coming to him. She sighted the star of Nymeria in the starry sky, a white star, very bright and with a milky tail formed by a thousand ships. _She shone as bright as any man, and so will Stannis and I when we're kings. Too bad no one will ever know what I had to do to get to the throne, but that's how it should be._

Tyene had assured her that she had administered the poison to Robert after the banquet on the first day of the Hand's Tourney, so according to her calculations the Usurper should have already died writhing in pain in his bed. It was a poison that acted very slowly, but once the first symptoms appeared the victim died within a few days. As she had been told, it was a poison that even her Uncle Oberyn did not know about, for it was one Tyene had created herself. It was completely impossible for Pycelle to save him, even if he wanted to.

What worried her most was that the Lannisters might be on alert after Catelyn Stark's incident with the Imp. The Kingslayer had almost tried to kill Lord Stark and she was sure he would have done so if he had not been surrounded by Dornish guards. Anyway, the Lannisters didn't have enough men to deal with Stark's and Renly's guards together. In addition, she had taken care of bribing half a dozen officers in the gold cloaks should they be forced to take sides. She wasn't foolish enough to trust Janos Slynt, because he was too ambitious and she knew that his soul was already bought by Littlefinger, to buy his favor she would have needed to offer him half of Sunspear. But the middle ranges were a completely different case. They had lower aspirations and were much cheaper, to buy them, a little gold and vague promises were enough.

One of the deck boys caught her attention. She knew a lot of sailors were young, but this one wouldn't be more than ten years old. Besides, he made strange moves with his arms and legs, like he was fighting a ghost or something. When she looked at him closer, she realized that he was not a sailor, but Arya Stark, Lord Eddard's daughter whom she had accepted as a pupil the day before they left the King's Landing. She intended to take her with her to Sunspear from the day Ned Stark told her about the girl, although he had been very reticent about her proposal. It wasn't until Jaime Lannister threatened him and his family that he scathed the proposal. He told her that he only sent her to Dorne until everything was calmer in the kingdom, but if things went as Arianne expected, that would take a while to happen. She hadn't talked much to the little girl, but she liked her, she reminded her of her cousins when they were little and played with her in the Water Gardens. Just by seeing her there, she thought of her daughters. She missed them so much. She missed Shireen's hugs and little Nymeria's smiles. She was hoping the young Stark girl could be friends with her daughter, the truth is that the poor thing needed new friendships. She used to play with her distant little cousins in the Water Gardens, with her younger sister and sometimes with that retarded fool Stannis had brought from Dragonstone, but almost no other child used to approach his daughter. The poor child had contracted greyscale as a baby and her face was disfigured, so the children believed it was contagious, although both Master Caleotte and Cressen had assured her that her daughter's dead skin was completely harmless once she had overcome the terrible disease.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Arianne asked Arya curiously.

The girl, who had not noticed her presence until then, was startled and almost stumbled upon doing her exercises, but managed to maintain her balance at the last moment.

"It's easier to practice at this hour, when there are fewer people on deck," she replied. "In addition, Obara says that you have to be prepared to fight at any time, night or day, rain or shine. My lady."

"Yes, it sounds like something Obara would say, where is she, by the way?"

"In her cabin, sleeping. I think his words were: _I'm tired, do whatever you want, but leave me alone_ ," Arya replied.

Arianne let out a laugh when she heard that. "Why doesn't that surprise me?" said Arianne with a laugh. "You shouldn't put so much pressure on yourself, child. Maybe if your instructor doesn't follow her own rules, you shouldn't either, do you? Take a break."

"She's already a warrior, but I still have a lot to learn. I don't have time to rest."

"Don't force yourself too much anyways," Arianne sighed. She once secretly asked Obara to teach her how to fight, but her training did not even last two days before she gave up. She was surprised that the Stark girl had lasted so long. "If you see Obara oversteps her boundaries, tell me. Your father would kill me if something happened to you during your stay here."

"Don't worry, my lady. I'll do nothing that worries you, but please let Obara keep training me," the girl pleaded.

"Quiet, quiet," calmed Arianne. "I'm not going to ban you from anything unless it's dangerous, but I know my cousin won't put you in danger. She knows you're very important to us."

"I'm looking forward to arriving at Dorne," Arya excitedly said as she continued her exercises. "Are there more women warriors there, as the stories tell? As Obara and Queen Nymeria?"

"There are, although it's not very common either. My cousin is like that because she was raised by her father, my Uncle Oberyn, the Red Viper of Dorne. Her sisters are also strong, each in their own way. I'm sure you'll like them, especially Nymeria. She is the one who most resembles Obara, although she prefers to use daggers instead of spears."

"My wolf was also called Nymeria," the girl said with melancholy in her voice. "But I had to abandon her because of the queen and Joffrey. Because of them and my sister."

_Sansa Stark_ , Arianne thought. She still remembered her encounters with Lord Eddard's eldest daughter. To some extent she had forced them a little, especially in the tourney. The girl was too naive and a little dumb, really. In a way she had tried to help her, to make her see that the world was nothing like the fantasy stories they had told her, although she could not resist humiliating her a little from time to time, especially after she had called Shireen ugly, but it was all for the good of the young girl. _The two sisters can't be more different. Like Obara and Sarella I suppose, although in their case it's because they are from different mothers_. The truth is that Arianne had never felt very close to her brothers either, so she could understand to some extent how little both Stark sisters loved each other. In her case, it was because Quentyn had been sent to Yronwood at a very young age, and when little Trystane was old enough to start a conversation she was giving birth to her first daughter, so there had not been much time to create a true bond between Doran Martell's three sons. In fact, for Trystane, Shireen and little Nymeria were more his sisters than Arianne herself. Despite this, Arianne did not hate either of them, let alone in the way young Arya seemed to hate her older sister. She simply felt some indifference to them, though she would not hesitate to fight for them the same way she would for her daughters.

"Sunspear in sight!" cried the lookout from the top of the mast. Similar shouts soon followed from the rest of the ships in the fleet. One of the sailors came down to the hold to wake the rest and soon the deck was more alive than ever, with the rowers banging their shovels against the water in unison, the crew calling each other loud to page the sails and the sound of a war horn indicating to the asleep city the arrival of the immense royal fleet.

"Come with me Arya. We're just bothering here. Let the men do their jobs."

It took them an hour longer to hit port and the sun was beginning to peek through the city's buildings when they were finally able to disembark and would have done so later if she had not been able to convince her husband that examining the damage the fleet might have suffered was a task that could wait until the afternoon or which he could delegate to someone else , like Ser Davos or any other captain.

She crossed a wooden walkway to the docks and recognized her uncle, who headed the Dornish delegation that awaited them to escort them to the Old Palace. Normally her uncle would have stayed in the palace, as he was the ruler of the city in the absence of her father and Arianne. Besides, the Red Viper wasn't too given to getting up early as long as he could avoid it.

"Prince Stannis, niece, daughters. I'm glad you're here safely," her uncle said when he greeted them. This time he did not wear his usual smile, but his countenance was completely serious. "When we got the news of King's Landing, we feared the worst."

"News? What do you mean uncle?" asked Arianne, pretending to be curious. She knew exactly what news he meant.

"A raven arrived from King's Landing a few days ago. Your brother is dead," he told Stannis.

"My brother? Renly?" said Stannis perplexed.

"No. His Grace, King Robert, died of a terrible disease from which he could not recover. His son Joffrey, your nephew, now occupies the Iron Throne."

_Everything's going as planned. Wait a minute... Joffrey?_

"His Grace commands you to return to King's Landing with your wife and children to swear your allegiance to him, just as he commands my brother and nephews. If you refuse, you will be declared a traitor to the crown and enemy of the kingdom. You are also removed as Master of Ships and you have been replaced in the Small Council by her majesty, Queen Regent Cersei."

_No, this wasn't supposed to happen. What has Lord Stark done? Has he betrayed us and given the kingdom to the Lannisters?_ Arianne tried to keep her composure but could notice that her uncle had noticed her change in mood. At her side, Stannis was debating between surprise and anger.

"What happened to my brother Renly? Is he still in the capital?" asked Stannis.

"Your brother fled the capital in the dark of night while his brother King Robert was debating between life and death. It is not known where he was going, although he is probably in Storm's End or Highgarden. He is also ordered to return to swear allegiance to the crown, as are most of the great lords of the kingdom."

"What about my father and my sister? What happened to them?" asked Arya Stark. The girl had been listening to the conversation behind her back.

Her uncle looked at her curiously and then looked at Arianne, like asking her who that impertinent girl that was interrupting them were. "She is Lady Arya Stark, " said Arianne. The girl winced when she called her Lady. "Lord Eddard asked me to accept her as a pupil just before we left the capital. Didn't he warn you?"

"He didn't have time, apparently. Lord Stark was declared an enemy of the crown accused of attempting to provoke a war with the Lannister house. Rumors differ, but it seems that the Mountain defeated him in the Mummer's Ford, when the Hand of the King was chasing him to put him to justice for the pillage, he had carried out in the Riverlands. His whereabouts are unknown. Some rumors say that he is being held prisoner by Lord Tywin, others say that he has fled to Winterfell and others that he is dead."

"What?" said Arianne perplexed. _What madness is this? Why was Lord Eddard chasing The Mountain through the Riverlands when his friend was dying?_

"No! No, no, no. It can't be true," the girl squealed as she debated in tears. "My father would never be defeated by someone like the Mountain." Her cousin wrapped her in her arms and took her to the castle as the confused little girl kept screaming and crying.

"Tywin Lannister has been named Hand of the King instead and the war has broken out between the Tullys and the Lannisters. What are you going to do, Prince Stannis? Will you go to King's Landing to swear allegiance to your nephew?" asked his uncle totally serious.

"He's not my nephew. I don't share blood with him, just like I don't share blood with Tommen or Myrcella. None of them are my brother's children, they are the result of incest between Cersei Lannister and her brother the Kingslayer," her husband replied when he managed to assimilate the situation.

"Will that be our excuse? I suppose it's pretty good, although I don't need any to kill Lannisters," her uncle said, arching an eyebrow, though Arianne felt that he wasn't surprised at all.

"It's no excuse, it's the truth," Stannis said.

"It's true uncle," Arianne added. "If you saw the three sons of Cersei you would have no doubt."

"I don't care, honestly, it's not me whom you have to convince," the Red Viper replied by shrugging. "Come on, your father is waiting for you in the palace."

"Is my father here?" asked a surprised Arianne. Her father hadn't left the Water Gardens in the last two years. The Old Palace of Sunspear had too many stairs and her father could not even stand up without suffering horrible pain, so he had moved to the Water Gardens, a quiet place not far from the city. Knowing that he had to return to the city caused her deep sadness, for she knew how painful it was for her father.

"He returned along with your daughters as soon as the raven arrived from King's Landing. He has already summoned the vassals, at the moment, hundreds of lords and knights are massing their hosts in the footsteps of the marches."

"Go on ahead. I have to give some orders before the crews hear the news," Stannis said, turning to the docks. "I must prevent any ship from leaving the port until I make sure that all the captains are loyal to me."

They left Stannis behind with a handful of men and set out for the Old Palace as the city's inhabitants shouted as they passed.

_Nymeria's been inciting the people_ , Arianne thought. She doubted that her cautious father would have been the one who inflated these spirits of bellicosity into the population. _Although my uncle may have helped_ her.

"Make way for Prince Oberyn and Princess Arianne!" shouted one of their escorts as they made their way through the crowd.

"To the spears!" roared a woman from one of the balconies.

"Glory to Queen Arianne and King Stannis!" exclaimed a man with a marked Dornish accent.

"Death to the Lannisters! To the spears!" squealed others.

_Queen Arianne, the truth is I really like how it sounds_. When they reached the palace gates, so many people had gathered around them that the guards had to push them to make their way. Arianne greeted them with a smile on her face, enjoying the mass bath that was taking place. At her side her uncle didn't seem so happy, but he didn't say anything.

When they arrived at the palace, Arianne thought her father would receive her at the entrance or in the throne room of the Tower of the Sun, but her uncle escorted her to his private rooms, where Doran Martell was sitting in the wheelchair master Caleotte had made for him so that he could move more easily. Areo Hotah, her old friend and protector, stood guard at the door. Hotah hit the ground with her big halberd and let it pass. Her uncle didn't come in with her and neither did the captain, who stood guard at the door. She hadn't seen her father in almost a year, and she've never seen him look so bad. His face was pale and his joints so swollen that it hurt just by looking at them. Doran Martell looked up to look at her, his eyes clouded with pain. At that moment, Arianne nearly fell to her knees and wept, but managed to keep her composure.

"Father, how are you feeling? Does it hurt a lot?" stammered Arianne.

"Does the sun warm?" said her father, smiling faintly.

"You didn't have to come back; you could have stayed in the Water Gardens..."

"No, it was necessary. Dorne must remember that it still has his prince in the midst of this madness. From what people cry out, it seems that I must now refer to you as _Your Grace_."

"We haven't heard of Robert's death until we've touched port. It is very difficult to assimilate that he is dead..."

"With me you can stop interpreting this farce, Arianne. Robert's death has surprised you as little as it surprised me," her father cut her.

"What? What are you talking about?" said Arianne confused.

"I've known of your plans from the beginning, daughter. You're not as subtle as you think. And if I know it is quite possible that our enemies do too."

"How, how did you know?" said Arianne incredulously. _Impossible, I was very careful. Only Tyene knew of my plans and she would never betray me, not me_. Every person included in her plans would have doubled the risk of treason, that was what her father had taught her, so for this endeavor she had only dared to trust Tyene, her cousin and possibly her best friend since she was a child.

"You were very careful, I admit that, but you forgot that Tyene will always be loyal to her father above anyone else, even you. And there is no person who I trust more in this world than my brother," his father admitted.

"You knew, and even then, you allowed us to go ahead with the plan to kill Robert and crown Stannis, why?"

"I have planned my revenge against Robert Baratheon and Tywin Lannister since I received the news of Elia and her children's deaths. That you became queen was my intention from the moment I arranged your marriage to Stannis Baratheon, when you were still nothing but a child. But Stannis would never usurp his nephews' throne, so I had to find a way to get rid of them first. The fact that you managed to convince him that they were Cersei bastards solved a lot of problems. How did you managed to do it?"

"I didn't do anything, father. He was the one who convinced me."

Her father opened his eyes like plates.

"Then is it true? Are they the fruit of incest between Lord Tywin's children?"

"Stannis is completely convinced of it, and the truth is that I am inclined to think the same myself. Anyway, does it matter?" She took a chair and sat in front of him. So many sleepless hours were starting to have an impact on her.

"Of course it matters," answered her father. "Truth is always more convincing than a lie, no matter how well elaborate it may be. Do you have proof of the incest?"

"No," acknowledged Arianne. "Not here, anyways. There were many bastards of Robert in King's Landing and Lord Arryn and Lord Stark seemed to have discovered more convincing evidence, but Lord Arryn died before he could act and tell Robert. And it seems Lord Stark had more urgent matters in the Riverlands."

"A pity. The Usurper's death... was it painful?" said her father frowning.

"If what Tyene has told me about the poison she used it's true, then Robert Baratheon should have died in terrible suffering, wallowing among his own feces."

"Good, good." His father smiled slightly. "It was the kind of death he deserved."

"The poison should have acted slow enough that Lord Stark would have had time to tell Robert the truth about incest," Arianne added. "Everything would have been easier that way."

"It's a shame, really. I didn't count with Lord Stark's honorable stupidity either, just like you didn't either. The truth is, that's where I made my mistake, a very serious mistake, apparently. Your plan was good, to let Lord Arryn or Lord Stark be the ones who proclaimed Stannis king and took control of the capital. That way the Lannisters would be surrounded by enemies and it wouldn't seem like an attempt to usurp the throne. You missed certain aspects, but I took care of fixing them."

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you think most of the royal fleet is docked in Dorne?" Her father didn't give her time to respond. "I spread some rumors that the merchant ships sailing here had little security and I exaggerated a little about the numbers of the pirates in the letters I sent to your husband. Nor that it matters now. That fleet will not serve us much against the many armies of our enemies."

"Lord Stark's death does not change anything. The Lannisters are alone against Dorne, the Stormlands, the North, the Vale and the Riverlands. And if Renly manages to convince Lord Mace, all the power of the Reach will also join our cause."

"The situation is much more dire than you imagine. Lord Tywin has defeated the Tully army and right now his brother is besieging Riverrun. It is true that Lord Eddard's son is currently descending the Neck with an army of northerners, but I doubt it will be enough to defeat all the power of the Lannisters. Moreover, if Lord Eddard is not dead and instead is in the hands of the Lannisters, they could exchange him to strike a peace deal with the Starks, and Lady Arryn has not yet summoned her vassals. And that is not even the most troubling news: If what Sarella tells us from Oldtown is true, Renly has proclaimed himself king in Highgarden. Soon all the power of the Reach will follow him."

Those news fell like a jar of cold water on Arianne. She couldn't believe it; she couldn't believe how all her carefully drawn plans were falling apart as her father spoke.

"Then..." Arianne said with a thread of voice. "We only have Dorne."

"The weakest of the kingdoms. The Young Dragon liked to exaggerate the number of our armies for his greatest glory, and we like to water the seed he planted so that our enemies will fear us. But you should know that our armies can't compare themselves to the Lannisters' or the Tyrells'. I'm convinced Stannis sure knows, though I don't think that'll stop him if he decides to pursue the throne. We cannot aspire to win."

It was said that her husband knew the levies that could summon even the most insignificant lord of the Seven Kingdoms. Arianne knew firsthand that this saying was not an exaggeration.

"What are you going to do then? Won't you support us, not even you?"

"If I had some common sense, I would have arrested you along with your husband as soon as you disembarked," Prince Doran sighed. His countenance was completely bleak. "Dorne would stay out of this and I would let the Tyrells, Starks and Lannisters destroy each other. But you're my daughter, so I'll support you if you really want that throne."

Arianne got up and headed for her father's cyvasse board, took the onyx king and stroked it among her fingers. She thought of her daughters, Stannis, her father, her brothers, her uncle and her cousins. Finally, she thought of her mother. _Norvos, that's where we'll all end if we fail. There or dead._

_But I won't fail._


	14. Tyrion I

**Tyrion I**

"My brother is dead," Tywin Lannister said in an unexpressive voice.

"That's right, my lord. What's left of his army has retreated to the Golden Tooth," the messenger said. His voice was broken with sheer exhaustion.

Tyrion drank a glass of wine without saying a single word. As he raised his arm, the pain went across it like a whip, reminding him of his brief experience in the battle of the Green Fork. His father's lords, captains and vassals had been silent as the messenger recounted the facts, only the crackling of the logs in the chimney, at the bottom of the common room, was heard. All his father's efforts had been in vain: the race to the west, the forced marches, the deserters... all for nothing. Robb Stark had arrived at Riverrun with his riders many days earlier.

When Tyrion had arrived at the Lannister camp, fresh from his adventures in the Vale he had been invited to his father's war council. Tyrion had sat in a chair nursing a goblet of wine and listened as the Lannister grand plan was revealed to him. His uncle, had covered himself in glory in the western Riverlands, brushing aside the Tully bannerman at the Golden Tooth and then defeating a second host outside the walls of Riverrun itself, although Edmure Tully, the young heir of Lord Hoster had retreated inside the castle.

_It's been many years since you managed to exterminate a house. It seems that you have lost your touch, father._

In the meantime, with the Tully seat under siege, Tywin Lannister had been leading a second, larger army of twenty thousand east across the southern Riverlands. First, he defeated Lord Stark's small host and captured him in the Mummer's Ford. Then he started his conquest of the Riverlands. Pinkmaiden, Raventree Hall, Harrenhal, all had fallen beneath the Lannister arms. Flush with success, Lord Tywin had arrived at the Green Fork, determined to stop any support from the north reaching the Tullys before the siege of Riverrun could be completed.

So, they had sat by the river, protecting his uncle's flank. Tyrion had not minded that so much, but a group of outriders reported that Robb Stark's army was marching down the Kingsroad and would be upon them within a few days, so they waited and met his army in the waters of the Trident. Only, it wasn't his army, but Roose Bolton's.

_A boy of fifteen outsmarted you, you arrogant fool. Uncle Kevan's blood is in your hands alone._

"How could this happen?" groaned Ser Harys Swift. "Riverrun was surrounded by an entire army... why did Sir Kevan divide his men into three camps? Didn't he know how vulnerable they would be?"

"Better than you, Ser Harys," said his brother Jaime, saying openly what Tyrion was thinking at the time. His brother had joined his father's army from King's Landing with a hundred men a few days after Robert's death and, like Tyrion, could not bear that an ass kisser like Ser Harys, whose greatest achievement had been to become Master of Coin for a few years just because he managed to marry his daughter to Lord Tywin Lannister's brother, was criticizing their dead uncle. During his brief stint through the post, he had almost managed to empty the royal coffers completely.

"I would have done the same as my uncle," continued his brother. "I don't know if you've ever seen the castle in your life, Ser Harys, but to besiege Riverrun it is essential to place a camp north of the Tumblestone, another south of the Red Fork and a third between the two rivers, in the west. There is no other way."

"What Ser Jaime says is true, my lords," said the messenger. "They caught us off guard with our army separated by the rivers. They attacked the northern camp first, where Sir Kevan was located. We were told Stark was east of the Green Fork, and our scouts didn't warn us. Most disappeared in the dark of the night, probably because of Lord Beric or Marq Piper, and those who returned saw nothing."

"They attacked at night, didn't they?" inquired Lord Lefford.

The messenger nodded tired. "The Blackfish was in command of the vanguard, killed our sentries and knocked down the wooden fence to make way to the main attack. Ser Kevan reorganized his forces as best as he could and held the Stark army as much as possible while organizing the withdrawal of his troops on barges to the southern camp, under command of Ser Forley Prester. Around a thousand men were evacuated by taking advantage of the river current, but not Ser Kevan himself, who died fighting valiantly against the Blackfish." Tyrion wondered if it had been the courage to try to save as many men as possible or the fear of dishonor what had driven his uncle not to go in the first boats. _Surely a mixture of both_. "In the west camp, under Lord Brax, we were not so lucky."

"My father..." Ser Flement Brax looked at him without fully comprehending what he was hearing.

"I'm sorry, my lord," said the messenger. "Your sire ordered us to go to Ser Kevan's assistance, but as we tried to cross the river on rafts, more men of the Starks arrived from the west, with the boy at his head, a monstrous wolf by his side. Our men withstood the first charge, but then the Tullys opened the gates of Riverrun and attacked us from the rear. The whole camp was wiped out."

Lord Tywin rested his chin on his intertwined hands without saying a word. His father was often silent during court-martials, preferring to listen before speaking. It was a custom Tyrion usually tried to imitate.

"It's crazy, crazy... The failed siege, our supply lines cut off. It's a catastrophe!" continued Ser Harys again.

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious," Ser Addam Marbrand intervened. "The question is what are we going to do about it."

"What can we do? They've cut off our supply lines, and the only thing that keeps them from attacking the west is the remains of Ser Kevan's army in the Golden Tooth. We have to sue for peace."

"Peace?" said Tyrion sarcastically as he finished off every last drop of his glass. "We have started this war, killed their subjects and burned their villages. And now, they're beating us, in case you haven't noticed. What makes you think the boy will accept peace?"

"A battle is not a war, look at what the late King Robert did after Ashford if you don't believe me," Sir Addam insisted. "He has not defeated us, not by a long shot."

"They may accept a truce and an exchange of prisoners," suggested Lord Lefford. "At the end of the day we still have his father prisoner, and as far as I know, Queen Cersei holds his sisters hostage too."

"If we ask for a truce, we'll be considered weak," Jaime argued. "I'd like to face the Young Wolf, pit my steel against the boy."

Lord Tywin Lannister rose to his feet.

"My brother is dead. I've heard your suggestions, no matter how stupid some of them were. Now get out of here, everybody. Leave me alone," his father said in a voice that cut off all the conversations. Tyrion and Jaime got up to go out with the others, but their father looked at them and added: "Not you two, stay. The rest out."

Tyrion re-settled into his seat, mute in amazement. His brother crossed the room in the direction of the wine barrels.

"Brother" called him Tyrion. "If you have the kindness..." His brother filled his glass with goodwill and then filled his. His father's glass, on the other hand, remained intact. He hadn't drink a single drop of wine.

"Lord Lefford is right about the truce, " said Lord Tywin. "Lord Eddard may help us sign the peace with Winterfell and Riverrun, but it will be difficult. The northerners may agree to trade Ned Stark and his daughters in exchange for a truce, but the river lords won't accept it so easily. We need that peace at all costs. That would give us the time to take care of Robert's brothers. Apparently, we have a new king."

"A new king?" asked his stunned brother. "Has anything happened to my nephew?"

_To your son_ , Tyrion thought, but he didn't say anything. _Why else would you have thrown Ned Stark's son out of a window?_ Lord Tywin's lips frowned into a grimace of disgust.

"For the moment, nothing. My grandson still occupies the Iron Throne, but the eunuch has heard troubling rumors from the south. A fortnight ago Renly Baratheon married Margaery Tyrell in Highgarden and now claims the crown. The bride's father and brothers have sworn him their alliance, as have most of the lords of the Reach and the Stormlands."

"Those are serious news," Tyrion said, frowning. "What about Stannis? He's the elder brother, what did he think of what Renly did?"

"It's always seemed to me that Stannis is more dangerous than our other enemies combined. So far Doran Martell has summoned his vassals and his troops are gathering in the footsteps of the Red Mountains. Apparently, he also has most of the Royal Fleet. It's only a matter of time before Stannis claims the crown and his troops get moving." His father clenched his irritated fist. "Tyrion, bring the map."

Tyrion left the glass and did what his father ordered him to do. Lord Tywin unrolled the leather and smoothed it on the table.

"Kevan has left us in a bad situation, but it could have been even worse. Roose Bolton and what's left of his army are to the north. Robb Stark is to the west, and by now he will have Edmure Tully and the lords of Trident behind him. We cannot retreat west unless we wage battle, but because Kevan managed to evacuate much of his troops, they cannot attack Casterly Rock and the Westlands either unless they manage to wipe out the remains of his army." Tyrion noticed how his father choked slightly upon pronouncing his late brother's name. Tyrion also grieved at hearing the news of his uncle's death. Ser Kevan Lannister had always treated him with kindness, unlike his father and sister, so Tyrion had always appreciated him greatly. "To the east we have the Arryns and in the south Renly and Stannis gather their armies to march upon us."

"Stannis will have to march through the Stormlands or the Reach before reaching King's Landing. He won't be able to attack us unless he deals with Renly first," his brother pointed out.

"And Lady Arryn has not yet summoned her vassals. She doesn't seem to intend to participate in this war, at least for the time being," Tyrion added.

"True," said Lord Tywin while still looking at the map. "But Stannis owns ships and Renly doesn't. Paxter Redwyne will not act against us while his children are in the Red Keep. Stannis may try to attack King's Landing from the sea before Renly arrives, if they don't end up allying first."

"Stafford defends Dragonstone. And we still have an important part of the Royal Fleet. Enough to defend the city in case Stannis decides to attack us by surprise," his brother said. _Our Uncle Dolt._ Stafford Lannister was his mother's brother and in turn, his father's cousin, and was also a complete incompetent. _If Stannis decides to attack Dragonstone, Stafford won't be able to hold it. Not even for a day._

"Still..." said his brother with concern. "Their combined forces outweigh ours. If we stay here, we'll be trapped between three armies, at best."

"I have no intention of staying here. We have to settle this matter with the young Stark before Renly and Stannis march on us. With a little luck they might face each other and so we can earn a little more time. Bolton is cautious and won't come after us, we'll march to Harrenhal in the morning. And you both will return to the city."

"The city?" Tyrion didn't understand anything. "What city?"

"King's landing, which other? Jaime, you'll assemble an army and prepare the city's defenses. Hire any mercenaries you can before Stannis closes Blackwater Bay. I will give the appropriate instructions to gather another one at Casterly Rock. You will be the Hand of the King in my stead; you will rule in my absence and take Lord Eddard with you. I intended to send him to Casterly Rock but that no longer seems like a viable option. You'll also negotiate peace with the Starks and the Tullys. Tyrion, you'll take up a seat in the Council and help him."

Tyrion almost choked on the wine when he heard that.

"I'm sure my dear sister has something to say about it."

"Let her say whatever she wants. She's proven completely incapable of controlling things in that damn city. How did she let Stannis run away with most of the fleet?" Tyrion saw anger flashing in his father's eyes. "It is the fault of those useless advisers: our friend Baelish, the venerable Grand Maester and the eunuch of Lord Varys. If they try to play us a bad trick..."

"Heads. Spikes. Wall," Jaime said. He and Tyrion knew exactly how the sentence ended. They had heard it from their father's mouth a thousand times.

"Well, I see you know what I expect from you."

Tyrion rushed the wine he had left in the glass and stood thinking for a few seconds. In a way he was more pleased than he wanted to acknowledge, although he would certainly have preferred to be the Hand of the King over Jaime, but he knew he could not expect much more from his father. For him, Jaime would always be above his other son, dwarf and twisted. His father got up and left the common room. His father did not say a word as he walked out the door and his hasty strides were lost in the distance.

Tyrion sat there for a long time, next to Jaime, thinking about the complicated task ahead of them.

"I have only seen him like this the day our mother died, when you were born. He's more shattered than he wants to appear," Jaime said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Uncle Kevan was his last living brother, and also the one who he was most close with," Tyrion admitted. "It would be very cold to feel absolutely nothing for his death, even for father."

"Knowing Father, I'm surprised it's the innkeeper who's hanged out there instead of Lord Stark. If it were in my hands, I would have already sent his head to Riverrun."

"We need him alive if we want to get to some kind of peace with the boy. Didn't you learn anything from father's diplomacy lessons when you were young?"

"The truth is, I used to skip them whenever I could. I was hugely bored. Our father should have named you Hand of the King instead of me. You're much more apt for that position."

"You just have to ask me, dear brother, and I'll deal with that bunch of vermin for you," Tyrion said, sketching a smile. _I'm sure I'll have to do it_ _anyways, even if you don't ask me to_.

"Who killed Jon Arryn?" asked Tyrion, radically changing the subject. He had gone through hell because of it and he wanted to get answers. He knew that Jaime would never admit it in front of their father, but it was different if they were alone, in complicity.

"No idea! Neither I or Cersei were part of it" replied Jaime shrugging his shoulders. "The old man died overnight, almost like Robert, although Robert's death was much more disgusting, I assure you. I couldn't forget his stinking smell even days after he died."

"And Robert?"

"Neither, unless Cersei had lied to me," answered Jaime. "In fact, she gave Lancel a skin of adulterated wine to feed Robert during the hunt, hoping that Robert would fall off the horse and open his head or something like that, but Robert fell ill a few days earlier."

_This is getting really strange._ He had assumed that his sister was involved at least in the death of the latter, she was the one who had the most to gain from it. Ned Stark could not be involved, and he certainly ruled out Robert's brothers, though knowing how quickly Renly had been claiming the throne, he could not quite rule him completely out either. That left Pycelle, Littlefinger and Varys as the prime suspects.

Jaime got up yawning. "I'm going to have a little head before we leave. You should too. We depart as soon as the sun comes up."

Tyrion got up too and followed him while the chimney fire was still barely alive, like the hopes of the Lannister house. His room was in an attic, under the bell tower. His brother accompanied him there, a gesture Tyrion thanked.

"Are you going to take the girl to the city with you?" his brother asked before he left.

Tyrion looked at Shae, lying on the bed of feathers, her nudity covered only by a thin blanket. At that moment he remembered Tysha, lying next to him after their wedding night and felt anger and sadness invade him at the same time.

"No, " he answered coldly. "I'll find another one."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there. 
> 
> Jaime not managing to attack Ned made him stay in King's Landing, and at that time I didn't think about the implications that may make. So, now I needed someone else to take command of the second Lannister host. I thought about Stafford Lannister or his son Daven, but the most obvious option was Kevan. The outcome of the battle is very similar to the one in the OTL, but I belive Kevan wouldn't have gotten captured the way Jaime did.
> 
> In the end, I decided to kill him off-chapter, not before he managed to save a large part of his army. Don't mistake me, I really like Kevan as a character, especially in AFFC and ADWD when his character is more explored, but him being captured wouldnt' make the same impact in Tywin as being killed.
> 
> See you next time!


	15. Catelyn I

**Catelyn I**

"Is he too sick?" asked Catelyn to her brother as they made their way to their father's rooms. She feared Edmure's response and his bleak appearance was already an answer in itself.

"According to the maester, he doesn't have much time left. The pain he suffers is... constant and terrible." She was invaded by blind rage, rage against everyone: against her sister Lysa for not coming to their aid, against the Lannisters, against her father, against Ned and against the monstrous gods who had cast this tragedy upon her family.

"You should have told me. You should have sent me a raven as soon as you knew," Catelyn said.

"He forbade it. These were critical moments for the kingdom, and he didn't want our enemies to know that he was dying."

_It was my fault. If I hadn't set myself up to capturing the Imp, this wouldn't have happened. And Ned wouldn't be imprisoned in the dungeons of the Red Keep or wherever Tywin Lannister had sent him_.

"Father, look who's here. Cat has come to see you," Edmure said when they arrived in their father's room.

Lord Hoster Tully had always been a corpulent, tall and strong man, even in old age. But in that instant, he looked like a corpse. He was lying on the bed and his face was creased and his muscles and flesh seemed to have melted. His hair and beard, once brown, were snow-white. Hearing Edmure's voice he turned his head and opened his eyes faintly.

"Little cat. My little cat. I watched for you..." murmured Lord Hoster in a faint voice as he searched for her with a trembling hand.

Catelyn knelt down and held his hand, it was large, but weak, fragile, and was completely devoid of strength.

"I leave you alone to talk," her brother said as he went out. "When you're done, come see me in my rooms, I'll be there with your son. News came from the south as you marched here, and one of them concerns you directly."

That surprised Catelyn. She wondered if it would be news of Ned or the girls. _For the Mother’s love, I hope nothing has happened to them. Let them come back to me safe and sound, please_.

She spent a few more minutes there with her weak father. She had not spoken to him since the end of the Rebellion, when she had departed with Ned and their newborn son to what would be her new home. Her father was even weaker than he appeared, and the disease was beginning to wreak havoc on his mind, causing him to confuse the present and the past. She would have liked to stay by his side for the rest of the day, give him peace while he rested, but forced herself out of the room and went see Robb and Edmure. When she left his father's stays, she struggled to contain the sobs.

She returned to the inner courtyard and headed for her brother's rooms. Ser Brynden Tully was there, talking to the captain of the household guard of Riverrun, still in his armor stained of blood from the recent battle. As soon as he saw her, he ran to her.

"Is he...?"

"At death’s door, as we feared," she said.

"Will he see me?" Her uncle's wrinkled face showed the pain he felt.

"Yes, but later. Master Vyman just gave him milk of the poppy so he could sleep."

“I've waited fifteen years, I guess I can wait a little longer. You're going to see Robb, aren't you? Let me go with you."

When they arrived at her brother's rooms, Robb was already there, as waere her brother Edmure and Theon Greyjoy. They at least had had the decency to change their clothes after the battle. She almost cried when she thought her fifteen years old son had already killed men with a sword. She watched the three young men. Their faces reflected an obvious concern, unusual for someone who had achieved a great victory just a few hours ago. _Has Lord Tywin laid us into one of his traps? Or maybe it's Ned and the girls, maybe..._

"Mother!" Robb said when he saw her there. "We have to call the council. We have to decide a few things," he pointed to three letters he had lying on the table. All three of them had the seal broken. Catelyn recognized the Baratheon’s stag in the broken golden wax seals of the first two letters, while the third’s one was orange and had the figure of a sun.

"This was the first to arrive," her brother said as he handed her one of the Baratheon’s letters. "It was a surprise that the ravens managed to pass through Sir Kevan's archers."

"Renly?" she said surprised after reading the message. "I thought it would be Lord Stannis who would claim his brother's crown. After all, he's the eldest of the two."

"It seems that the line of succession matters little when you are backed by the lords of the Reach and the Stormlands," Theon said with a smile. He seemed to be laughing at a joke that only he understood. "But you are not entirely wrong either, my lady. Read the next one, it arrived this morning with the other one."

This letter left her even more surprised than the previous one.

_“All men know me for the trueborn son of Steffon Baratheon, Lord of Storm’s End, by his lady wife Cassana of House Estermont. I declare upon the honor of my House that my brother Robert, our late king, left no trueborn issue of his body, the boy Joffrey, the boy Tommen, and the girl Myrcella being abominations born of incest between Cersei Lannister and her brother Ser Jaime the Kingslayer. Lord Eddard Stark knew of this infamy and has been falsely accused of treason for defending the truth. By right of birth and blood, I do this day lay claim to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Let all true men declare their loyalty. Done in the Light of the Seven, under the sign and seal of Stannis of House Baratheon, the First of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Prince Consort of Dorne.”_

_It's certainly a cunning ruse on Stannis' part,_ thought Catelyn _. If Joffrey and his brothers are declared illegitimate, then he would really be the king. Ned also believed the same thing; or so it says in the letter... But Petyr warned me that Stannis was no longer the righteous man her husband thought he was. Maybe it's just a lie on the part of the Martells to go to war against the Lannisters. The gods know they have reasons to desire it._

Be that as it may now there were three kings in Westeros. _And if we support one of the losers, we'll be considered traitors._

"If what that letter says is true," said Robb. "Then Stannis is the legitimate king, not Joffrey."

"Stannis needs a justification to rebel against his nephew, and this story provides it to him," she said frowning. "He says your father supported him, but he doesn't present any proof. The Lannisters captured your father and accused him of treason, but if Joffrey is the legitimate king and we rebel against him we will be traitors too."

"What do you suggest we do then Cat?" asked her brother. "Do we kneel before Joffrey and forget his grandfather has tried to annihilate our family?"

"If Ned and my daughters were returned to me, I'd sign the peace, without hesitation. But I know that our vassal lords would not accept it, and many of the northerners would not either."

"Maybe you should read the last letter, Mother. Things are even more complicated than it looks," her son said.

Catelyn stretched the paper and read. When she was done, she didn't know whether to cry with joy or fear.

_"Given the recent events, I did not know whether it would be better to send this letter to Riverrun or Winterfell, so I have sent one to both castles in the hope that some member of house Stark or house Tully would be able to read it. I wanted it to be known that before our beloved King Robert died and Lord Eddard Stark was declared an traitor unjustly, the last one, fearing for the safety of his daughters, asked me that his youngest daughter, Arya of house Stark, became my pupil_ _before we left King's Landing._

_Right now, the young girl is with me in Sunspear, in good health and worried about her father and family in light of the confusing news that comes to us. I know that she will soon be able to be reunited with her parents and her brothers, when our armies march together against the threat of the treacherous Lannisters, who have done so much damage to our two families._

_Arianne of house Nymerios-Martell, crown princess of Dorne and Queen of the Seven Kingdoms."_

The letter was also signed by Arya. As soon as she saw it, Catelyn knew the signature was true.

"The Lannisters don't have Arya, and if Father decided to send her to Dorne it's because he trusted Stannis and the Martells," Robb said with a smile. _Oh, Robb. You don't know how bad this is for us_.

"That means Stannis holds your sister Arya hostage, just as the Lannisters have your father and Sansa," Catelyn said, leaving the letter on the table.

"If at least we could have captured Sir Kevan..." Theon said. "Maybe we could have traded it for Lord Eddard or for Sansa."

"It's hard to think about taking prisoners in the heat of battle," retorted her uncle. "Besides, Lord Tywin would be very stupid if he traded the Lord of Winterfell for a simple knight, even if this was his own brother."

"Call the council. I will not make any decisions before I have listened to the rest of the lords," his son said.

The court-martial met in the main hall, in four long square-shaped tables. Edmure occupied his father's seat and the Blackfish was sitting next to him. Many of the lords of the Trident were also there, sitting on both sides. After the news of her son's victory in front of the walls of Riverrun reached them, many have left their castles and marched there to join them. Ser Stevron Frey, who had ridden with her son from the Twins, as well as Lord Jason Mallister of Seagard were there, as well as Lord Blackwood, Lord Bracken and many others. The northern lords sat in front of Robb. They were less, since much of them were with Roose Bolton's army on the other side of the Green Fork. Lord Rickard Karstark led them, along with his two youngest sons, Eddard and Torrhen. Of his firstborn there were no news, for he had disappeared after the battle of the Green Fork among many others. The Greatjon, Galbard Glover and Lady Mormont were also there.

The opinions of the vassals were deeply divided. Many wanted to march against Harrenhal to confront Lord Tywin and take him down once and for all. Others preferred to attack the west and destroy the remains of the army of the late Sir Kevan, preventing a second Lannister army from surprising them from the rear when they marched against Tywin Lannister.

_Everyone wants revenge, no matter if it's towards Harrenhal or Casterly Rock where they march_. She wasn't surprised in the least. The Lannisters had attacked them in a treacherous deed and many had suffered considerably at the hands of their armies. Those who had suffered the least at the hands of the Lannisters recommended patience. Jason Mallister reminded them that Tywin Lannister was isolated from the west and soon he would have to face the threat of Renly and Stannis in the South if he wanted to retain any hope that his grandson would continue to sit on the throne at the end of the year. Ser Stevron was of the same opinion and suggested waiting to see which of the two Baratheon brothers was victorious before declaring for either of them. Jonos Bracken rose to insist that they should join Lord Renly in the south, as his hosts were the most numerous, while Tytos Blackwood was radically opposed to what Lord Bracken said. In his opinion, Stannis was the one they should support.

"Renly is not the king," said her son. "King Robert had two sons, and even if we believed what Lord Stannis says, he would be ahead of Renly in the line of succession. Bran cannot be lord of Winterfell before me, and Renly cannot be king before Stannis."

"Dorne is too far south, and Stannis cannot march against King's Landing without defeating his brother first," Marq Piper said. "Renly has the support of Highgarden and Storm’s End. If we join our forces with his own, our victory is assured. What reasons do we have to join Stannis?"

"He has the right," retorted Robb stubbornly. At the time, Catelyn felt as if Ned was presiding over the council and not her son. "And my father seemed to believe that his demand was fair. Why else would he have sent my sister Arya with him to Dorne?"

"Are you suggesting that we support Stannis, then?" asked Edmure.

"If my father were here with us, he would tell us that it is our duty to swear allegiance to Stannis. I am convinced of it; even if it hurts me to leave my father and sister at the mercy of the Lannisters."

She thought of her daughter Sansa and Ned. She wondered if she would see them again, though deep in her heart, she already knew the answer to that question. _Oh Ned, why didn't I listen_ _to_ _you?_

"The Young Wolf is right," said Ser Brynden. "Stannis Baratheon is the legitimate king, we cannot swear allegiance to who is clearly a traitor, no matter how numerous his armies are."

"If anyone has more reason to hate the Lannisters than we do," Lord Blackwood added. "Those are the Martells."

Many of those present nodded, including Lord Bracken, to Catelyn's surprise. At that moment, Lord Rickard stood up.

"My lords. If we bow our knees to Joffrey, Tywin Lannister will come back for us when he's done with Renly and Stannis and believe me when I say he won't forget his fallen brother in front of these very walls."

The lords nodded again.

"And if we swear allegiance to Renly, we will be nothing but turncloaks. We will be just like the sellswords, who only swear allegiance to gold and glory."

"It is decided, then," declared her son standing up. "The North will swear allegiance to Stannis Baratheon, and fight for him in the wars to come."

Her brother Edmure got up too. "House Tully and the Lords of the Riverlands are with you."

The lords gathered there pounded the tables with their fists in unison, in a sign of approval, though not all did so with the same effusiveness.

"Send a raven to Sunspear," Robb told Maester Vyman. "Tell Stannis Baratheon that he will be our king."

_Ned, Sansa, I’m so sorry…_


	16. Davos II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I didn't noticed until I started writing this chapter that the last time we heard of Davos was in the first chapter of this story, back in April. But worry not, I'll try not to write 14 chapters until his next POV.

**Davos II**

Davos had never seen the docks of Sunspear more crowded than then. The warm city had become a kind of second residence for him and his children since Stannis had married Princess Arianne. The docks were full of sailors loading supplies from one place to another and in the inns, there were mercenary soldiers drinking or looking for some Dornish prostitutes to sleep with. There weren't as many as Davos would have liked. When the king ordered him to go across the Narrow Sea with Prince Oberyn Martell to recruit as many mercenaries as they could, he probably did not expect them to return with less than five thousand men. Most of the captains of the sellsword companies had laughed in their face at King Stannis' slim prospects of victory compared to his brother Renly. Renly's army reportedly mustered around one hundred thousand men between horsemen and men on foot. Stannis's barely reached twenty thousand, counting with the mercenaries that Davos had managed to hire. The only companies that had agreed to fight for them were the Windblown and other minor companies of the free city of Myr. Davos had also managed to get Salladhor Saan, a notorious merchant, banker and pirate from the city of Lys. Before being knighted, Davos had worked for him and had often bought him cargo, and now the Lysene was willing to work for them… in exchange for a small price.

"When shall we set sail, Father?" asked his son Dale to his right. "The king sent my brothers and me to send his messages throughout the kingdom, but that will not win the war."

"You'd better be messengers to soldiers," Davos replied. "That way you will be safe."

"Don't be so sure. In Oldtown we were almost arrested by Lord Hightower's soldiers. And if I had dared to go to Lannisport my head would be nailed to a stake."

"As soon as the king gives the order to depart, you will be the first to know" promised Davos.

Davos bid his farewells to his son Dale and headed for one of the Shadow City inns. The dusty city was like a maze, with narrow alleys that it was easy to get lost if you didn't know them, but Davos had walked that way dozens of times. In one of those alleys he found the place he was looking for, an inn with a colorful wooden boat decorating the entrance. It wasn't the busiest in town, but it was Davos' favorite.

At one of the tables in the common room was sited Salladhor Saan and next to him were Prince Oberyn and the Tattered Prince, the captain of the Windblown. Seeing Davos, he gestured to him to approach. Davos occupied one of the chairs that were free and asked one of the waitresses for a strong wine. Dornish Red were very common in there, but for him they were too bitter for his like, so he used to ask for the strongest whenever he could, because they were usually much sweeter.

_How much has the world gone crazy, if now a prince, a smuggler, a sellsword and a pirate sit at the same table_.

"Sit next to us, Onion Knight and eat with us, " said the Lysene with a smile on his lips.

"I've already eaten, old friend. What I need is wine, wine and news."

"News we have many, but few favorable to our cause," replied the Tattered Prince.

The captain of the Windblown was an old man with completely gray hair and beard. The clothes he wore were poor and anyone could have mistaken him for a simple old sea wolf or a beggar. The mercenaries said that whoever rode to battle with Tattered Prince will return from war richer than a lord. Davos hoped they wouldn't be wrong.

"The Lord of Casterly Rock has sent his golden son to take charge of King's Landing. Meanwhile he sits in Harrenhal, waiting for what his enemies will do," the mercenary continued.

"And our friend, the young Stark does the same in Riverrun. Since his victory against Kevan Lannister he hasn't moved from there," added Oberyn Martell.

"In my humble opinion, we should attack King's Landing while old Lord Tywin is distracted by the Young Wolf," Saan said. "However, all our good king does is wait and wait."

The waitress came back with the wine and Davos gave her a copper coin.

"We may manage to take the city, as you say, that if Lord Tywin does not move his army from Harrenhal to defend it once he learns that we have sailed." He lifted up the jug and took a sip of the sweet wine, as black as the blood that will soon be spilled. "And Lord Renly..."

"He will crush us once he arrives with his army," ended Prince Oberyn for him. "Even if we manage to join forces with Robb Stark's, his hosts outnumber us by two of his men for each of ours. That at best."

"Ah, yes, the little brother," said Salladhor Saan. "There's our biggest problem. King Renly has already set off from Highgarden. Sorry, here we have to call him Lord Renly, sometimes I forget. The fact is that his grace's brother marches on the Roseroad with a powerful army on foot, knights in shining armor and his young and beautiful queen. Although not as beautiful as ours, of that I have no doubt. I'd give you all the wives I've left in Lys for spending a single night with her..."

"Shut off pirate. It's my niece you're talking about," Oberyn Martell said.

"Don't lecture me good prince. If I wasn't your niece, you'd be thinking the same thing I was."

Prince Oberyn let out a laugh at hearing the comment of the Lysene and had a drink of the glass of wine in front of him.

"Has he taken his wife with him? Are you certain?" asked Davos trying to re-engage the conversation.

"He does it as a token of his power. He must be very sure of his victory," the Tattered Prince said. "In my opinion we should send a few assassins to kill him and his wife in the middle of the night. Just by doing that half his army will disperse and the other half will join us. It would be the wisest thing to do."

"Killing a brother... What you propose is cursed in the eyes of men and gods," Davos said incredulously.

"What can I tell you. I'm a twisted, evil old man. In this life we must take every opportunity to take out our enemies, Sir Davos. Do not doubt for a second that Lord Renly would have no qualms about doing so if he were in our place."

"Anyway, we must warn the king of this news," Davos said after taking another sip of his drink.

"Don't worry, Sir Davos. I briefed him on this morning's war council," Prince Oberyn said. "Although his Grace grinds his teeth so hard when I say something that surprises me that he still has his teeth intact. Anyway, I think he likes me more now than a few years ago, when we first met. Looks like after ten years of marriage, my niece softened him a little bit. You know him longer than I do, Sir Onion. When will you think the king will order us to move? At this rate the Young Wolf will not leave any Lannister alive and my spear is thirsty for lion blood."

"I think soon. And more now that Lord Renly marches towards King's Landing," Davos said.

"Lord Father," said a voice behind him. Davos turned and saw his son Devan, elegant in his squire's attire. "His Grace commands you to appear before him in the Tower of the Sun. I left a horse at the entrance of the inn so you can go there immediately."

Davos rushed his glass of wine and got up. "Excuse me, my lords. It seems that the king claims me."

_Will he give us the order to finally set sail?,_ Davos wondered. It wasn't just the mercenaries the ones that were getting impatient. The great Dornish lords were also impatient and many were eager to attack King's Landing and shed Lannister blood. Most also did not dislike attacking the Stormlands or the Reach, as there were many old quarrels between the border lords of both kingdoms. _Whether we set sail for King's Landing or march against Renly's army, we have no chance of victory,_ _our enemies are too numerous._ Despite everything, he climbed on the back of the horse and headed to the Old Palace.

As he walked through the corridors of Dornish Princes' palace, Prince Doran Martell appeared before, sitting in his wheelchair while the captain of his guard, the norvosi giant Areo Hotah dragged him down the aisles. Queen Arianne's father was an old man, in his fifties, but the terrible gout case he suffered made him appear much older than he was. Most of his hair had turned grey and he covered his legs with a blanket to cover his horrible swollen joints. When he saw him, he gave the order to his captain to stop.

"Sir Davos, it's always a pleasure to see you," Doran Martell said kindly.

"The pleasure is mutual, my prince."

"Our king takes you for a sharp and frank man. Tell me, how do you see our possibilities?"

"Complicated, to say the least." He meant to say awful, but he held back his tongue.

"Yes, that's what I said to the king. We have foes everywhere and our allies are a lot of leagues away from us and, like us, they're surrounded by enemies. And I'm afraid time doesn't play in our favor either. Every day that passes, Renly's hosts as well as those of the Lannisters grow, and they will continue to do so as long as the winds are favorable to them."

"Sometimes the winds can take us to a storm," Davos replied.

"Yes" said the prince with a faint smile. "The same thing happened to the Targaryens. It looked like the Rebellion was finished after Ashford, but they were too complacent and now their dynasty is practically over. I am no longer entertaining you; our king needs your counsel."

Davos said his farewells to the prince of Dorne with a slight reverence and continued on his way to the court-martial chamber. The room they had chosen was on the same floor as Prince Doran's rooms, so that Prince Doran could attend without much difficulty.

Stannis was sitting at the table, with a large leather map of the Seven Kingdoms so large that it occupied the entire table. Next to him was his wife, Princess Arianne. _Queen Arianne,_ Davos reminded himself. On the map were several tokens representing the different armies of the houses of Westeros.

"Take a look at this letter," said the king when he saw him.

He had learned to read a few years ago. He was born in Flea Bottom in King's Landing, so no one had taught him to write in his childhood. It was not until Devan's birth that Davos asked Maester Cressen to teach him and his future children to read. Now, years later, he had become a literary man, though all he read were some letters and messages and he had never dared to read a book.

" _A_ D _ornish whore will never be my queen_ ," the message said.

The letter was signed by Lord Bryen Caron of Nightsong. He was one of the vassal lords of the Baratheons of Storm's End and, like almost all of them, had sworn allegiance to Lord Renly, the king's brother. In fact, Lord Bryen now formed part of Renly's newformed kingsguard, or Rainbow Guard, as he had named them.

"You could read the rest of the letters I have on the table and the messages won't be much different," Stannis said irritated. "As Renly's older brother, these lords should swear allegiance to me. I am their rightful king and lord, but they will use any kind of excuse to deny it. I could be married to a Stark, a Tully or an Arryn for all that matters, they would find any other reason to deny me their support."

"Your Grace. You haven't called me to read the insults to you or your lady wife, have you?"

The queen let out a giggle.

"Always straight to the point, as always. It's one of the qualities I've always liked about you," the king said. "Well, I'll be frank with you. I want you to prepare your ship, we'll be setting sail as soon as possible. I have waited for the lords of Westeros to declare their support to me, but it seems that only the Starks and the Tullys remember what loyalty and honor is, and if I keep here waiting, they will abandon me too, so it's time to act."

"Your Grace, I am yours to command, now and always. But do you think it's wise? Our enemies are very numerous, if we march against them, our chances of victory will be slim."

"True, but if I do not act as soon as possible, my cause will be forgotten. All the Dornish lords I have met feel the same way. My father-in-law believes that we must act cautiously, but act after all, while his brother wants us to march through the Boneway to Harrenhal and put Lord Tywin's head on a pike. Harmen Uller suggested that we march through the Prince's Pass and take Horn Hill and the rest of the castles on the Marches. I want to hear your opinion; what do you think I should do?"

Davos looked at the map and kept meditating for a few seconds. "King's Landing is vulnerable at the moment, but Lord Tywin can reinforce it with his troops if necessary, and even if we were able to take it, we have no chance of defending it against Renly's troops. In my opinion, Renly is our biggest problem right now, we should weaken him until we can face him."

"Sometimes I think you should have married Sir Davos, my husband. You both think alike," the queen said with a smile.

"As you say," said Stannis ignoring Arianne's joke and grinding his teeth, "Renly is our main concern. As the younger brother he should have supported me, but like the lords who follow him, his unmeasured ambition has weakened us considerably. They believe that if they follow the greatest herd, they will emerge from this war richer and more powerful. Well, no more entreaties. It's time to remind them of the price of betrayal."

"Renly has gathered his army in Highgarden and marches along the Roseroad with most of it as we speak. But by doing so he has left his southern flank vulnerable," Arianne said, pointing to the map. "Let's attack there and the lords who march with him will have to return with their troops to defend their castles and lands."

"Excuse my abruptness, your Grace, but attacking the castles of the Marches will be difficult and costly, and it may weaken us more than your brother."

"You are right, Sir Davos, but we must still attack Renly, weaken him in some way. Fortunately, we have the most powerful fleet of Westeros right now so we'll have to use it appropriately. The Young Dragon boasted that he had conquered Dorne with his armies, but it was Alyn Velaryon and his fleet who actually defeated the Dornish and enabled Daeron to march with his armies. Now, I have to do something similar. Two important objectives are within our reach and taking them will reinforce our cause more than taking a few castles in the Red Mountains will. But to take one of them I'm going to need of your skills."

"I will do as you command me, as I have always done."

"Good. Once the fleet is ready, I want you to take a handful of ships and a few soldiers. You will do what you do best, being unnoticed."

The king rose and Davos followed his gaze to a point on the map. Beside him, the queen's smile got enlarged and she seemed to see a hint of mischief in her brown eyes. "Oh… my cousin is so going to like this."

"Your Grace... years ago I stopped being a smuggler, a crime for which I remember you've already punished me. I don't know if I should..." Davos replied nervously, fearful of the huge enterprise in which he was about to participate.

"Well, I need you to be one once again. I don't know of anyone else who can successfully carry out such a mission."

"If that's what you need from me, my skills are at your disposal," Davos said obediently. _If this goes well, I will certainly be remembered for more than a few simple onions…_

"Good, good. And as you do that, I'm going to pay an old friend a visit."


	17. Tyrion II

**Tyrion II**

"This is a real villainy!" declared Cersei furious. "Not only does he betray the kingdom by declaring war on his own nephew, as does his traitorous brother, but he even dares to say such things about us. I'm sure it occurred to his bitch of a wife, or the fucking Red Viper."

Tyrion took the letters his sister had brought, put them together and compared them. They were identical, even if the calligraphy was different the content was exactly the same, word for word.

"Master Frenken received the first letter at Stokeworth Castle. The second copy came through Lord Gyles Rosby," Pycelle explained.

"If Stannis has bothered to send them to those two, surely the rest of the lords of Westeros have also received a copy," Jaime said pensively from his seat as Hand of the King.

Cersei had not taken their arrival very well instead of their father's, although in a way Tyrion noticed that she had been a little happy to see Jaime safe and sound. The same could not be said for him. On the same day they arrived in the capital, Cersei would have kicked him out of the Small Council and sent him to the dungeons with Lord Eddard if Jaime hadn't stopped her. As a result, he was now seated in the former post of Lord Renly, as a Master of Laws, although he was in fact a kind of assistant to Jaime in his new position as Hand of the King.

"I want you to burn those letters, from the first to the last," demanded Cersei. "Neither my son nor my father must hear the slightest rumor about them."

"It seems to me that that will be more complicated than it may seem, Your Grace," said Littlefinger scratching his beard. "The whores in one of my brothels have told me a similar story. Apparently, some sailors were telling that tale in the harbor a few days ago. By now, most of the city will have already learned of it one way or another."

"And I'm sure Stannis also bothered to send one crow to Harrenhal and another to Casterly Rock," Tyrion added with a dry tone. “It won't do any good to burn the cards, let alone if the people have already found out. It's not as troubling as it might seem, my dear sister."

"Have you lost your mind?" Cersei nailed his green eyes full of rage into him. "Haven't you read what he says? He has the audacity to accuse us of incest, adultery and betrayal!"

_Just because it's true_. _It's amazing how angry she can be about accusations that are true_.

"I have been called perjured, kingslayer and traitor for years," his brother said, downplaying the matter. "Adding incestuous to the list doesn't seem so serious to me either." If looks could kill, Ser Barristan’s face would have torn Jaime to pieces from the other side of the table.

"It's easy for you to say, but I'm the queen and Joffrey, the king. He cannot be stained throughout his reign as the fruit of false adultery, and incestuous on top of that. I won't tolerate it being said that I'm a whore!"

"Stannis needs a pretext to justify his rebellion," Tyrion said when his sister finished with her rumblings. "What did you want him to say? That Joffrey is the rightful heir, but he still wants to steal the throne from him?"

"Renly doesn't seem to have needed one to rebel against us," retorted his sister.

"It may be as you say... but with this letter Stannis seems to have won the support of the northern lords and the riverlords, unlike Renly. Is it true what he says about Lord Stark?" asked Tyrion.

"He never said anything while serving as Hand of the King, though it is true that he spent a lot of time with Stannis and his wife," Jaime said.

_Could Stannis have been planning this for a long time?_ Tyrion wondered. _If so, he has not been very skillful, or maybe he didn’t count with the ambition of his younger brother._ Anyway, Tyrion was surprised that Stannis knew his sister's incest for so long and didn’t said anything to Robert, unless he was waiting for his brother to die to reveal Cersei's secret. _No, Stannis would never betray his older brother, he's always been too loyal for his own good.._.

"Perhaps we could convince the honorable Lord Eddard to deny Stannis claims. Let him abjure Stannis in public and declare himself loyal to Joffrey, dismissing Joffrey's stories as false and only the fruit of Stannis’ personal ambition. That would leave Stannis a liar and a traitor and maybe get the northerners to sign peace with us and turn their backs on Stannis. After all, Eddard Stark is still the Warden of the North, and not his son," Lord Varys suggested.

"Yes, yes, it's worth a try... But in the meantime, we have to stop these rumors from spreading further. Tyrion, as a Master of Laws, I demand that you enact a new edict. Anyone who says that Joff is a bastard will get his tongue cut off," his impatient sister said. Ser Barristan was stunned at this sudden proclamation.

“My queen,” said the old knight. “Surely there must be another course of action, that measure would be…”

"A very prudent measure," nodded the Grand Maester, interrupting Ser Barristan, as the chains he wore hung around his neck tingled.

"It's foolish. If we do that, the people will think Stannis's fable is true," Tyrion said.

"By trying to silence the rumors, we will only be able to reinforce them. Let them talk and whisper Cersei, they'll get tired of it given time," his brother sighed. “For once, it looked like Ser Barristan and his brother Jaime would be in accord with something today.

"In the meantime, I think there are more troubling issues than Stannis Baratheon's lies," Varys said. "Mace Tyrell has cut the Roseroad, and with the Riverlands on fire the city is starving. It's not as serious as it could be, since ships can still enter and exit from Blackwater Bay, but with Stannis in possession of most of the Royal fleet, I'm afraid that could change at any moment. And with so many people seeking refuge in the city, the gold cloaks don't seem to be capable of maintaining order anymore. Yesterday there were riots in the Flea Bottom and I'm afraid they could soon spread throughout the rest of the city."

"And what is Janos Slynt doing while this happens? It's supposed to be their duty to maintain order in this wretched city," Cersei said angrily.

"I'm afraid the gold cloaks are no longer what they were. Their numbers have been reducing in recent years and I regret that they are not enough to maintain order," Littlefinger said.

"And whose fault is it? Enlist more men. We won't just need them for the riots. When Renly gets to our doors, we'll need every possible soldier if we want to have any hope of defending the city," Jaime said angrily to the Master of Coin.

"And how will we pay them? The little gold we have left is being used to pay your mercenaries, Ser Jaime."

“Pay them with food," suggested Tyrion. "I will issue a law that says the city’s watch and our soldiers will be the first to receive rations every time food enters the city. All those starving people will run to enlist in our ranks. That's how we'll alleviate the riots, at least for a while."

"In addition to the riot issue, my little birds have told me that Renly Baratheon is on the march and has left Highgarden. He advances through the Roseroad, along with his entire army."

"He can get here on the next moon," said his sister really concerned.

"Not at such a leisurely pace," said the eunuch. "Every night he celebrates a feast in a different castle and gathers the court at every crossroads he passes through. Moreover, organizing an army of a hundred thousand men is no easy task."

"You must send a raven to our father immediately, Jaime! Tell him to come from Harrenhal with his entire army.”

"Father will not move from Harrenhal unless the threat to the city is imminent or when the young Stark is no longer a threat," Tyrion said. "Why do you think that Jaime and I are here?"

"Certainly, you are not being very helpful. Well, if there's nothing else..." Cersei said as she got up.

"In fact, there's a matter I'd like to deal with," his brother cut her off. "The Kngsguard has been with one less member for weeks, after his Grace decided to relieve Sir Boros Blount from duty. I'd like if we can decide once and for all his replacement."

"Joffrey is the one who has to decide," Cersei said annoyedly. _You mean it's you who has to decide._ Tyrion still couldn't believe how Cersei had dared to kick a member of the Kingsguard out without even finding him a replacement. Ser Barristan and Jaime had been outraged when they received the news but for his part, he believed that this could be a perfect opportunity to lower Cersei’s influence within the Kingsguard and to appoint a more capable knight to protect his nephew.

"I believe that the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, as well as the Hand of the King, should have something to say in this matter," his brother replied. Since returning to the capital, the relationship between Jaime and Cersei had cooled considerably. Tyrion believed it was because his brother took more account of his advice than those of his sister and lover, which, coupled with Cersei's obsession with control and power, was straining their relationship day by day.

"The king believed that Sandor Clegane would have been a suitable replacement, but he departed with Lord Eddard to the Riverlands and never returned," Cersei said as she sat down again.

"Well, it's not like we could wait for him to come back. As far as I'm concerned, the Hound is dead, and if he is not, then he fights on the side of one of our enemies."

"Do you have anyone in mind, brother?" asked Tyrion.

"To many, but practically most of them have sworn allegiance to one of our enemies or are not in the city right now. Ser Balon Swann is the best option I can think of at the moment."

“I agree with my fellow brother in this matter,” added Ser Barristan. “Ser Balon is a very capable fighter. Nonetheless, I think we should also consider the readmission…”

"His brother has declared allegiance to Renly, " intervened Cersei.

"A traitor's brother doesn't seem to me the best choice to wear a white cloak" nodded the Grand Maester. “Surely there must be better candidates.”

_Incompetent flatterer_. Jaime had told him during the trip to King’s Landing that Pycelle had been serving the interests of the Lannisters for years, even since the time of the Mad King. However, it was very different to serve the Lannister house than to serve Cersei Lannister, which was precisely what Pycelle was doing. Every time the queen said something, the Grand Maester nodded and flattered her wisdom. Tyrion would have liked to replace him, but he doubted that Jaime would agree to do so, at least for the moment.

"His father, Lord Gullian, has claimed illness, staying in his castle and not taking sides with any of the throne contenders," Tyrion reminded them. "Perhaps if his second son were to get the honor of being part of the Kingsguard, we could convince him to support us. After all, the Lords of the Marches are powerful, and their help may help us slow down Stannis and Renly."

In truth, Tyrion had no hope that that would happen. He had the suspicion that the Swanns intended to survive this war, no matter which side won. Undoubtedly, if Lord Gullian had had a third child, he would have been with Stannis Baratheon in Sunspear. Still, the young Sir Balon was skilled with weapons and was brave and honorable, much more than could be said of the current members of the Kingsguard with the exception of his brother.

"I'll talk to Joffrey and tell him to name Ser Balon as the new brother of the Kingsguard," Cersei said, nailing her green eyes full of contempt to Tyrion. It was the second time that he spoke against her opinions that day, and if the meeting lasted longer, it certainly won’t be the last. "And now if you'll excuse me, I’m going to inspect our walls’ defenses. I don't want our soldiers to think that we all consider the defense of the city as trivial as you do." Cersei left the room escorted by Sir Boros Blunt of the Kingsguard and half a dozen other Lannister guards and Tyrion could see her figure getting lost in the distance.

The rest of the counselors followed his sister's example and did the same. Tyrion, however, delayed himself a little longer until in the room only he and Littlefinger remained.

"Lord Baelish, can you give me a moment before you leave with your affairs?" asked Tyrion with all the education he could muster.

"Of course. It's always a pleasure to talk to you, Lord Tyrion," Baelish said with a mocking smile.

"My lord, I understand that while you were a ward of Lord Hoster, you had a very close relationship with the Tullys."

"You could say that, yes. Especially with Lord Hoster's daughters."

"How close?"

"I deflowered them, the two of them."

Tyrion knew it was a lie, but he let it go so naturally and spread out that anyone would have believed it. Although perhaps it was Lady Catelyn who lied about how she lost her virginity, lies always used to have some truth at heart.

"The Tully sisters don't seem to feel much affection for me. I doubt they'll listen to any proposal I put forward to them, no matter how sincere that might be. Instead, if those same words came from you, then things would certainly change," Tyrion said.

"That would depend on the proposal. It doesn't look like the Stark boy is very willing to negotiate a truce. You may have his father and one of his sisters, but Princess Arianne has the other. If he signs the peace with us, Stannis will not hesitate for even a second to execute his other sister."

"I have other ideas to try to come to an agreement with the Stark boy, don't worry about it. The one I hope you can bring to our side to is Lady Lysa. For her I have an offer that she will not be able to refuse."

"Lysa has always appreciated me very much, and she has always been much more cowardly than her older sister, but I understand she hates you."

"While I was her guest at the Eyrie, she insisted that I had killed her dear husband and may have tried to make me fly, albeit unsuccessfully." _Mother, can I make him fly? I want to see him fly,_ whispered a voice in his head. Tyrion was not particularly excited to have to plead Lysa Arryn for help, but the Vale was along with the Iron Islands the only one of the kingdoms who had not yet chosen a side in this war.

"How do you intend to convince her then? Do you think Lysa will declare war on the Starks and the Tullys?" Littlefinger shook his head. "She may be a bit crazy, but she won't send her knights against Riverrun."

"I didn't mean to ask her to do that. We have other enemies. I intend to use her forces against Lord Renly or Lord Stannis, if he dares to cross the Red Mountains. In return she will have justice for Jon Arryn and her son will be appointed Warden of the East, as his late father was. Besides, I'm going to give her my niece." For the first time since arriving in the capital he could see surprise in Petyr Baelish's eyes.

“¿Myrcella?”

"When she flowers, she will marry the little Lord Robert, and in the meantime, she will be a pupil of Lady Lysa in the Eyrie." _The gods know that she will be safer there than in the Red Keep_.

"Yes... I could sing that little song to Lysa." A sly smile appeared on Littlefinger's face. "If I wanted to. Tell me, what do I get in return?"

"Harrenhal. And you will also be named Lord Paramount of the Trident. When this war is over, the lords of the Riverlands will have to kneel to you."

The castle had been uninhabited after Lady Whent's death at the beginning of the war, so it was fairly easy to give it to anyone. Littlefinger put on his cloak and stayed silent for a moment as he meditated his answer, but Tyrion had already been able to see a flash of greed in those cunning eyes. He knew he had him.

"Even the Tullys?" asked Baelish.

"If any are left alive when this is over..."

"In one fell swoop you would make me one of the most powerful lords in Westeros. I'm not ungrateful, but I can't help wondering why."

Tyrion shrugged. "I need you to convince Lady Lysa to accept this proposal. Besides, I'd rather give you Harrenhal than give Renly the Iron Throne."

Littlefinger touched his fingertips together and warmed his gaze on Tyrion. "All right, give me a fortnight and I'll sail to Gulltown."

"I'll give you a week. I need you to hurry, who knows how long it can take for Lord Renly to appear before our walls? By the way, I don't think I need to remind you that you must act with the utmost discretion."

"Of course. It's been a very nice and fruitful meeting for the both of us." He bowed slightly and left the room at full speed.

The truth was, Tyrion didn't trust Littlefinger the slightest, but dealing with him was his only option to convince the Arryns to join their side. From what he was able to observe during his captivity in the Eyrie, the relationship between Lysa Arryn and the rest of her family had deteriorated considerably, a fact that was confirmed when the Vale did not rise up in arms against the Lannisters when his father invaded the Riverlands and laid siege to Riverrun, where Lady Lysa had grown up all her childhood. Moreover, the wife of the late Hand of the King did not seem to be in her right mind from a long time. He would have been willing to grant ten Harrenhals if the devious Master of the Coin agreed to convince her to have her knights march against Renly and Stannis allowing him to keep his head in place for a while longer.

_In the end it came out pretty cheap._


	18. Arianne IV

**Arianne IV**

Her daughters tried to hold back the tears without success.

"Is father going to come to say goodbye?" asked Shireen. Just looking at her watery blue eyes made her want to cry too. _This is all your fault,_ a voice said to her in her head. _You're going to leave your daughters without a father because you couldn't settle for Dorne, you wanted Westeros._

"Of course, he'll come, " replied Arianne trying to comfort her with a smile. "He has to organize the last preparations to set sail tomorrow, so he’s taking so much delay, that's all."

"Why does he have to leave so soon?" asked Nymeria by pulling her arm. "Can't he stay a little longer? He promised me that when he came back, he'd take me for a ride on one of his ships."

"Your father has... very important issues to attend to that require all his attention," Arianne said. Shireen was old enough to understand what war was and what it could suppose for her family, but she didn't want little Nymeria to think that was the last time she could see her father. "I'm sure as soon as he gets back, he will take you on that trip he promised you, and if he doesn't, I’ll do it in his stead."

"But he promised me!" squealed her daughter.

"And he will keep his promise," she answered as she tried to soothe her by stroking her hair, as black as hers, Stannis's and her older sister's.

"Are you going to leave too?" Shireen inquired. The worry and sadness in her voice was completely palpable.

"No. Not for the moment at least. With your uncle out and your grandfather so weak, I have to stay in Sunspear to organize certain matters."

_At least until I find someone I can entrust them to._

She didn't want to abandon her daughters, but to tell you the truth, staying in Sunspear made her feel terribly powerless. With a fledging war, the last thing she wanted to do was stay there directing finances and palace affairs while her husband, uncle, cousins and friends fought thousands of leagues away. She may not have the ability to lead Stannis's armies, nor the fighting ability of Obara or Nymeria, but she was sure she could be useful in some other way.

"Then ... won't you come with us to the Gardens?" said Nymeria.

"I'm sorry, but I have to stay here. Although I'll go see you as much as I can. You'll have to take care of your grandfather for me. Do you think you can do it?"

They both nodded, but that didn't make the sadness disappear from their faces.

"That's the way I like it, now you should be getting your luggage ready for tomorrow. Shireen help your sister, will you? In the meantime, I'll see if I can find your lord father."

"You won't have to look much, then," said a voice behind her back, from the door.

"Father!" exclaimed her daughters rushing quickly to hug him. Arianne kept surprising how much they both loved Stannis with how distant he used to be with them. Arianne knew that he loved them despite how much it was hard for him to show it and was glad to see that both Shireen and Nymeria recognized that as well.

Although she was taller than Arianne at her age, Shireen's arms could barely surround him above his hip and Nymeria's arms only reached his knees, but that disparity in heights made the scene seem terribly tender.

_Hopefully, in a few years they'll be as tall as he is. Gods, let him come back safe and sound._

"You're done sooner than I imagined, really. Have you finally dared to throw out all those lords and petty knights who keep begging you for your time?" asked Arianne curiously.

"It has been several days since almost all of them left to meet with the rest of the army on the Marks. It was just one last meeting with the captains, nothing more," Stannis replied as he tried to hug his daughters awkwardly. The gesture would have been funny if he hadn't been doing the same thing since Shireen was born.

"Bah, you could have followed my lead. My version seemed so much better to me."

"If you're so upset about the time I spend in those meetings, maybe you could attend in my place. For the nonsense I have to hear them say, anyone might as well go " complained Stannis.

"Not in a million years, that's much more fun. I love how they then come to see me, full of sweet words, trying in vain that I can change your mind. _Oh, my princess, couldn't you talk to your husband about taxes? My beautiful lady, there is a matter of some lands that I would like to deal with you_... And on and on. Sometimes I get the feeling that those poor things are going to cry on me seeing how bad you leave them," Arianne replied approaching them.

"If you feel so bad for them, you could always talk to them in the first place. I remind you that you are the princess of Dorne, if I do this it is on your orders."

"And I remind you that you are now the king of Westeros, you could stop if you wanted to. I'm afraid I no longer have any power to order you to do those boring tasks," she said, pretending to be sorry.

"Precisely because I am king now, I have to keep doing it."

"You could leave it to someone you can trust," Shireen interjected. "All kings have had a Hand of the King that helped them rule. Now that you're king, you should have one too."

Her husband was pensive for a moment before the advice of his eleven-year-old daughter. "Yes... you're quite right, Shireen. It's about time I picked a Hand."

"I pray for the wretched poor man who will receive the post" laughed Arianne.

"If I'm honest with you, you're one of the first people I've ever thought of to fill that position, Arianne," Stannis said. If she didn't know him well, she'd thought it was a joke, but the moment those words came out of his mouth, Arianne knew he was completely serious, which made it even funnier for her.

"I'm sorry, honey, but I'm afraid I must reject your generous offer," she said with a laugh. "People would talk too much. Besides, I’d be the first woman to hold office, I'm sure many of the lords of the kingdom would disagree. No, all of them will."

"At present most of the lords of the kingdom are traitors in the service of Joffrey or Renly. If they keep their heads when this war is over, they can be considered lucky. And the Dornish lords will not protest, on the contrary, that the future ruler of Dorne being the Hand of the King will seem much better to them that it being a northerner, a Stormlord or any other for that matter," Stannis replied.

"You seem to forget that Dorne's future ruler is also your wife. Many will consider it nepotism," Arianne said, reminding him of the obvious.

"They will think the same of whomever gets the post. Anyway, we'll talk later, your father wanted to see you now. Meanwhile... think about it."

"I will, but I promise you nothing. Did my father tell you what he wanted to see me for?"

"He didn't mention it, " replied her husband. _And of course, it didn't occur to you to ask him either…_

Arianne suspected that her father's intention was not to say goodbye to her. If so, he could well do it tomorrow before they departed to the Water Gardens. No, she was sure her father had another motive. _Any more revelations about his past plans perhaps?_

The fact that her father knew about her plan from the beginning was something Arianne had not yet fully assimilated. That and that her dear cousin could have betrayed her. Ever since her father told her everything, Arianne had been unable to even speak to Tyene, and virtually everyone who roamed the palace seemed like her father's spies. _How long have you been watching my movements?_

Arianne felt like a ghost as she swarmed around the Old Palace towards her father's quarters. The corridors of the palace had been practically deserted for several days, except for a few dozen guards and the usual servants who came and went. When they bowed to her as she passed past them, Arianne studied their faces and all she was able to think about was how many of them she could trust.

_Probably none._

"Arianne" Daemon Sand greeted her when he crossed her as she came down of the stairs.

"In public you should speak of me as _Your Grace_ , Sir Daemon," Arianne told him in a tone perhaps too abrupt. "I didn't expect to have to remind you of that."

"Your Grace" repeated Daemon obedient, but she perceived some anger in his tone. "Your father sends me to accompany you to his rooms. If you have the goodness to accompany me."

"I know the way," Arianne said coldly, leaving him behind. "War must be extremely dangerous if I need escort even here."

"The Spider has spies everywhere," Daemon said as he tried to keep up with her. "And Lord Renly could also have sympathizers in Dorne. Every precaution is short, my princess."

"My queen" Arianne reminded him for the second time. Daemon's impertinence was beginning to disturb her deeply and all she wanted was to get to her father's rooms at once so he would leave her alone. When they were young, she and Daemon had been very good friends, but as the years passed, they became more and more estranged. When Arianne married, their relationship became ice-cold. Years later she discovered from Tyene that Daemon had been in love with her since they were children. He had even been about to challenge Stannis for her hand, though in the end her uncle stopped him.

_Seeing it in hindsight, the signs were obvious. I had to be so blind so I couldn’t see them._

"Oh, but you're still princess of Dorne, aren't you?" said Daemon smiling.

"If my uncle and my cousins didn't have you in such high appreciation, I swear I'd make that smile disappear from your face, Daemon. Don't think that because we were friends, I'm going to tolerate this lack of respect. Tell me, has my father really sent you or have you just come to annoy me?"

"Sorry Ari... my queen. I didn't mean to bother you. If my jokes have caused you any discomfort, I beg you to forgive me. I saw you so stressed and I thought..." answered her once-friend.

"That your stupid jokes would cheer me up? If you really want to cheer me up, bring me Renly and Joffrey's head, saying which... shouldn't you be with my uncle and the rest of the army? Why are you still here?"

"Your husband..."

"The king."

"The king asked me to go with him and the fleet tomorrow when they set sail. I am one of the few Dornish who knows what a fight is on the open seas and he thinks that I might be more useful to him in that way, although... I'm worried."

"Worried? About what?"

That surprised her to some extent. Daemon had always been bold and impulsive, that something would cause him concern was not common in him.

"You, the war... All. Nobody knows where we set sail, Arianne. Some say we're going to attack Lannisport, though most people think it's King's Landing where we're headed. There's only silence."

"As you said yourself a moment ago, there may be spies everywhere," Arianne said. "It is vital that the enemy does not know where we intend to attack. The fewer people know, the less risk we are taking."

"Do you know?" asked Daemon.

_Yes._

"No," lied Arianne. "I have attended some of his court-martials, but not all of them. I imagine only his closest generals and captains will know."

"Perhaps he should expand his circle of trust. Rumors are heard among the soldiers, and not exactly good ones. It is said that the Onion Knight has defected, among others. That the war is lost before it even starts."

"And you, what do you think?" replied Arianne. "Do you really think Sir Davos would abandon us? Do you really think the war is already lost before we begin?"

"No, but it's hard not to do it when our chances seem so slim."

"The Starks and the Tullys have joined our cause. And soon more and more lords throughout the kingdom will join us. It's still too early to give up."

"I... I will trust you, my queen," Daemon said.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, old friend, " replied Arianne smiling. "We will triumph, have no doubt. You'll soon see the gods smile at us."

"Heh. Looks like I've managed to cheer you up in the end, Arianne."

"Yes, it may be. It seems to be reciprocal, though. I'm glad I saw you before you leave, Daemon. Take care."

"That, I always do, ha, ha. By the way, you should talk to Tyene. She told me you haven't spoken to her since you came back, and she's worried about you. I know you're very busy lately but try to make some time for her."

"Goodbye, Daemon" cut him Arianne. She didn't want to hear about Tyene. Not that day.

She left Daemon behind and finally entered her father's rooms. As usual, Hotah stood guard at the door, with his large halberd in hand. Arianne wondered how he could continue to do that work day after day without even looking tired. And not to mention how boring it had to be to be to be all day looking after someone who could hardly move by himself. If she had been in his shoes, she would have died of boredom years ago.

"Captain" she greeted him.

"My queen. Your father is waiting for you inside," Hotah replied.

_At least someone still has manners in this palace._

Hotah struck the floor with his halberd and let her pass.

When she entered, her father was lying on his bed, covered with a blanket up to his waist. His eyes were closed and for a moment Arianne thought he was asleep. However, as soon as he heard her coming in, Doran Martell opened his eyes to look at her.

"Arianne. I thought it would take you longer to get there," her father said.

"Did you think Daemon would entertain me? Is that why you sent him? Or was it to spy on me?"

Arianne didn't want to have started that conversation so abruptly, but when she saw her father she couldn't contain herself. She had been with that accumulated rage for several weeks now and wanted to let go of it before her father went to the Water Gardens.

"No, I just thought that seeing an old friendship again would help. These last few days I have noticed you... changed."

"I wonder why it will be, " replied Arianne with cold irony.

"Don't be so insolent, Arianne. If Tyene told her father what you were planning, it was because she was worried about what your plan might entail, not because she was disloyal. If she did what she did, it was to protect you."

"She betrayed my trust. What do you call that but disloyalty and betrayal?"

"Your husband knows a lot about law and justice, do you want us to ask him? I'm sure it will give us a very interesting point of view."

"Don't you dare threaten me with that, Father. Don't forget your hands are as bloodstained as mine. You wanted revenge on Robert and Tywin Lannister, and you saw that my plan was pretty convenient for you. Now we're accomplices, whether you like it or not."

"What do you want?"

"I want to know everything. I want to know who you're spying on, who your informants are and what you're planning. Others may consider you a weak, harmless old man, but you don't deceive me. And finally, I want you to stop spying on me."

"Believe me or not, I don't spy on you or follow your movements. You are my daughter, Arianne, and it is my duty to protect you, including from yourself. It's the same thing your uncle and your cousins do. We are a family, and we must protect ourselves and help each other. Don't forget."

"Enough of the secrets then. Tell me everything."

"The same goes for you. When were you going to tell me that Stannis wanted to name you Hand of the King?"

_And you said you weren't spying on me, were you?_

"He just told me. How did you know?" Arianne asked.

"He told me before he went to see you. He also asked me to occupy that post, but I told him that with my current state of health I am not the right one to hold that position. You on the other hand..."

"I'm not the right one either. Dorne's customs are very different from those of the rest of the kingdom. The nobles of Westeros will not accept it. If we want to attract more allies to our cause, I must not be The Hand of the King."

"Hmmm..." sighed his father. "Yes, it will definitely be hard for many to accept it, but I still think you should take the post. You've spent quite a while away from Dorne since you got married and know how to move in court."

"I am no longer in King's Landing, " Arianne reminded him. "Here there are no arrogant nobles to please or ambitious advisers to contempt. Stannis needs someone to help him in his battles, and there I am completely useless."

"You're wrong, Arianne. Wherever a king goes, there will be ambitious power-hungry individuals who, in many cases, will be needed on our side. Your husband may be many things, but he has never been charismatic and has never been able to negotiate when it has been necessary. Not all wars are won on the battlefield, Arianne, you know it."

"Hmph, it's okay, I'll think about it. Although I still think it's a terrible idea."

When she finished talking to her father, the sun had almost disappeared on the horizon. Returning to her daughters' rooms, she observed that they had already went to bed and were sleeping peacefully.

_Damn it, I'm too late. I hope Stannis is still awake._

She looked at them as they slept for a few moments and closed the door gently so as not to wake them. Luckily for her, her husband hadn't gone to sleep so soon, even when he used to get up early. When she entered their rooms, Stannis was sitting eating what appeared to be dinner that day.

"Hmm? Oh, you're back. And you say that I spend too much time in my meetings," Stannis said.

“I've been thinking about it," Arianne said, ignoring her husband's pun. "And I'll accept your offer."

"I'm glad to hear that. What made you change your mind?"

"What do you want me to tell you? I'm incapable of resisting your charms," Arianne said provocatively. "But before I accept, I have a condition."

"What is it?"

"I don't want you to leave me behind. I don't want to stay here while you go from one side of the continent fighting battle after battle."

"It is not wise for you to come with me. War is not a game; it will be dangerous..."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to fight. But my duty as Hand is to advise you, and I cannot do that if we are each on one side of the continent."


	19. Eddard IV

**Eddard IV**

_I wish I was_ dead. That was the most common of his thoughts over the past few weeks, since Tywin Lannister's horsemen massacred them in the Mummer’s Ford.

His cell reeked of urine and dregs and he hadn't seen the sunlight for days. The darkness was absolute and the only time he could make out a glimpse of light was when the jailer brought some water to the cell once a day. At first, he had also been given a loaf of bread to accompany that, but he had not enjoyed that privilege of it for quite some time. He was being held prisoner in one of the Black Cells, one of the many dungeons under the Red Keep. He had been brought there after several weeks of being locked between iron bars in a wagon of Lord Tywin's army and to tell the truth, he did not know how long he had been locked up in there as the only way he had to count the time in there were the visits of the skinny rat-faced man that visited him. _Days, weeks, months?_ Ned closed his eyes, slept, woke up, ate and went back to sleep without having the slightest notion of time.

He cursed himself constantly. He had been an idiot, over and over again. He must have stayed in Winterfell with his family, but instead he accepted Robert's request and went south to try to serve him and the kingdom as best as he could. He should have listened to Stannis Baratheon and told Robert the truth as soon as he had the chance. He must have listened to his daughter Sansa and let someone else go and face The Mountain. Instead, his damn honor had made him try to bring justice to Sir Gregor in person, and thereby sent a hundred men to their ultimate deaths. Their outriders had sighted The Mountain near the Mummer’s Ford, so Ned had driven his riders there to intercept him and put him down once and for all. However, once they arrived, it was not The Mountain’s men they found, but thousands of Lannister horsemen who charged them at first sight. As they outnumbered them by far, Ned ordered the retreat and flight to King's Landing, but at that very moment, The Mountain appeared in his rear with his men, massacring his forces in the ford. The only one who didn’t seem afraid was the Hound, who charged to meet his brother despite their poor odds. Ned saw many of the guards who accompanied him fall, including Jory and Harwin. He could even see The Mountain piercing the young Lord Beric Dondarrion with his spear before a Lannister rider hit Ned in the head from the back and knocked him unconscious. When he awoke, he was chained to a cell, surrounded by Lord Tywin's entire army.

The soldiers had strict orders not to speak to the prisoner, but over the weeks, he was able to hear some of their conversations. They said Kevan Lannister was besieging Riverrun as Lord Tywin marched north to confront his son Robb, who reportedly marched down the Neck to free his father from the clutches of the Lannisters. Several days later there was a battle, Eddard knew as soon as he saw the weary, filthy, blood-soaked soldiers return. Ned asked anyone that passed near his cell to try to find out what had happened, if they had any news of their son Robb or from King Robert. Several of them laughed when he asked them about the latter. It wasn't until he was taken back to the capital and saw the banners with the Lannister’s Lion next to the Baratheon stag that he finally managed to understand that Robert must have died during his absence. _Robert, Cat, Robb, Sansa, Arya... I have failed you all…_

His head hurt terribly, but he did not know if it was because of sleeping on the bare stone, the wound on his head, or the dark thoughts that inhabited it: Would he ever see his family again? Would everyone be safe, or would Robb be in a dark cell just like him? And what had happened to Sansa, whom he had left in the capital when he left?

The only visitors he received in that cell were those of the ghosts of his past. He saw Brandon, his gray eyes staring at him with disdain as a ring of leather strangled his neck.

"You stole everything from me," he said. "You let me go south so you could steal my castle, my lands and my wife. Well look at you now!" Ned closed his eyes and when he reopened them Brandon had disappeared and instead there was only one eaten up and dusty skeleton.

Other times, it was Robert who appeared to him, but not fat and drunk as when he died, but as he remembered him in his youth, tall and strong, with a large warhammer in his hand.

"Look how we ended up, Ned," the ghost said. "You failed me, you let them poison me instead of telling me about the danger. You let them kill me..."

The last one to appear was Stannis Baratheon, tall and imposing, but with a face that indicated only contempt.

"I warned you, you fool. I told you to tell Robert, to tell him the truth before it was too late, but you wanted to wait."

_I'm so sorry_ , Ned thought without daring to say it out loud, but Stannis still heard him.

"Proud idiot, you have taken away my crown..." said, but his voice was strange, distorted. His face cracked and deformed, and instead Princess Arianne appeared, looking at him with one of her usual smiles. "Give me my crown, Stark. Give it to me and I'll give you back your daughter," she demanded, "Give it to me!" Her figure deformed until she became a snake that attacked him.

He was lying on the ground, trying to fall asleep without success when he heard footsteps approaching that stopped just outside his cell door in the hallway. At first, he thought it was another product of his imagination, but when the iron door opened with a squeak and the light of a torch illuminated the cell and blinded him, Ned knew it was not a dream.

"Food!" he groaned. "Please..."

"Go get some food for the prisoner. We don't want him to starve to death," a voice said. It was not the voice of the jailer, but another that was strangely familiar to him, as if he had heard it before somewhere. With his eyes half-closed because of the light of the torch, the man's shadow seemed to him to be that of a giant, but when he approached him, he saw that the man was small, very small actually. It was none other than Tyrion Lannister, the man who had tried to kill his son Bran in Winterfell many months ago.

"The Imp? Are you another of my ghosts, have you also come to torture me?" he said insecure. He touched his face with a trembling hand. "No... you're here, you're really here."

"In the flesh," replied the dwarf.

"What do you want from me? Have you come to kill me since you couldn't kill my son?"

"You're already the second one to tell me the same story, at this rate I'm going to start believing it myself," he said with a small smile. "No, I need you. More than I'd like to admit. Tell me, do you know anything about what's going on outside these dungeons?"

"My son... your father marched against my son Robb. He defeated him."

"That's what he thought too, but you're wrong just like he was. Your son deceived my father and relieve the siege of Riverrun. Now both he and the Tullys have joined Stannis Baratheon's cause."

"Stannis... he is Robert's rightful heir. The throne belongs to him by right."

"I've heard that story too, and I don't like it either, just like my sister or the rest of my family don’t either. But it seemed to convince your son to support his cause. He looks like you, always guided by honor and that kind of stuff. I want you to deny the story of Stannis, I want you to convince your son and the northern lords to return to their lands. Do it and your life will be spared. You can go back to Winterfell and spend the rest of your life with your family"

"Then my word would be worthless. I don't value my life enough to do that," Ned replied to Tyrion Lannister. "Do you think I intend to serve the interests of those who killed my king, murdered my men, and tried to kill my son? That I will never do."

"Of these claims you speak, only that of the murder of your men is true and certain. And it happened because you gave your wife the order to apprehend me for a crime I did not commit, as the gods have already determined."

"Who but your sister would kill Robert? She's the only one who benefited from her death. Tell me, did she kill him with the same poison she used on Jon Arryn, did she order Robert's squire, your cousin, to do it, or did she dare to do it with her own hands?"

"My sister did not kill your dear friend Robert, nor did she kill Jon Arryn. Let’s suppose that these story about Cersei’s sons being bastards is true, my sister may have killed Robert and Lord Arryn when Joffrey was born, or Tommen, or Myrcella, and yet she did nothing for all these years. You're mistaking your enemies here, Lord Stark."

"I've heard your lies for too long. I'm not going to believe a word that comes out of your reptilian tongue."

"You disappoint me. You believed those of Littlefinger, Pycelle, Arianne Martell, Varys... and yet not mines. Tell me, what do I have to do to make you trust me? Is it because I'm a dwarf, isn’t it?"

"It's because you're a Lannister. Leave at once and let me die in peace."

"Make no mistake, Lord Stark. I don't want to see you dead, that’s not my intention at all," Tyrion said. "You are too valuable as a hostage and, sooner or later, you may be of use to us. Your son Robb is stubborn, yes, and also brave. Your son Bran, on the other hand... the second sons tend to be a disappointment to their parents. In war a lot of things may happen, your son may lose a battle tomorrow and end up dead among his men, or maybe he will suffer a terrible accident... My father has always been original when it comes to taking down his enemies, I'm sure you already know the song."

_And so he spoke, and so he spoke, that lord of Castamere..._ Ned knew what Tywin Lannister had done with the Reynes when they dared to challenge him. _No, Robb beat him once and he can do it again. In addition, soon Stannis and the Martells will join him, along with the Arryns, the stormlords and Renly, if he is alive._ Ned understood now, the Lannisters were desperate.

"He, he, he, he… HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" Ned laughed with the few forces he had left. The Imp was surprised and slightly recoiled, prompting more laughter from Ned. "You have no allies, you are alone! You can starve me to death or stick my head in a pike if you want, soon yours and your father's will be by my side."

"I have asked you nicely, Lord Stark," sighed Tyrion Lannister. "You may want to die like this, alone in a dark cell, but I'm sure you wouldn't want that fate for your daughter. All the hostages we need is you alone, your daughter isn’t as important. What happens to Sansa is up to you, Lord Eddard."

Ned stopped laughing. His breathing had been cut off and he felt as if someone was squeezing his lungs. "My daughter?... no, that’s not possible..."

"You will not believe that you are our only prisoner here. Your daughter Sansa never got to take that ship you arranged for her. As soon as you left the Red Keep, she ran to tell my sister about your plans, how you intended to send her back to the cold northern lands, away from here. She thought Cersei would protect her and stop you from sending her back to Winterfell. She wasn't wrong about the latter, but she was just as naive as you. I wonder if it's a family thing..." Tyrion said with a smile.

"No... it's not true! You think you can fool me, don't you? You think if you threaten to take my daughter from me, then I'll bend to your will... but no! My daughter Sansa must already be in Winterfell, far from your reach. And Arya is in Dorne. You will never reach them."

"I was taking you for another kind of man, Lord Stark. But right now, I only see a skinny, hungry, half-crazy man. I hope that next time I come here; you will be in... better conditions of speaking. Pray to your gods that the next one who comes to visit you is me, whether you believe me or not, I am the last friend you have left in this damned city," Tyrion said turning his back and going back where he had come in.

Tyrion Lannister left the cell, leaving Ned in the cell alone with the darkness and a bit of food. Ned touched the food, but without daring to try it, for fear that it would be poisoned. _Are you mad? If they wanted to kill you, they wouldn't poison your food,_ a little voice whispered in his head. The food was somewhat dry and tasteless, but for Ned, it tasted better than any other bite he'd ever tasted. When he finished, he licked the plate, as if trying to extract some more food from that empty piece of clay. Then he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

"Father?" A voice awakened him from his sleep. "No, it can't be ... what have you done to my father?" Ned opened his eyes wide. He recognized that voice immediately, he'd never forget it.

"Sansa?" His daughter was in his cell, just in front of him. Behind her was Tyrion Lannister and with some difficulty Ned was able to discern a couple of guards at the entrance too. "No, it's not possible..."

His daughter hugged him and then Ned knew it wasn't another one of his dreams. His daughter was there with him. As the Imp had told him, she was still in the capital.

"Why are you here?" asked Ned.

"Sorry father, I... I didn't want to go back to Winterfell. I couldn't let you send me back there. The queen told me she’ll convince you one way or another, but I didn't know that..." said Sansa. Her eyes were full of tears.

"Stupid girl..." murmured Eddard. Tears were also beginning to flow from his eyes. _How could I have been so stupid?_ In that moment, he comprehended that he will never see both of his two daughters alive again.

"Such as I told you, Lord Stark, your daughter is safe and sound with us here in the capital. As you can see, I'm not lying to you," Tyrion Lannister said.

Ned turned to look at him. A murderous wrath invaded him, making him want to punch the dwarf and strangle him with his cuffs to see that filthy smile of his disappear from his hideous face. But his forces failed him. When he tried to stand up, his legs were so weak that they couldn't support his own weight and he collapsed onto the ground.

"And well? Shall we negotiate now, Lord Stark?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! I tried to come up with at least a couple of cahpters these holidays. But 2020 has been so fucked up that in the end I ended up relaxing and doing almost nothing at all, which sadly included writing.
> 
> I'm really excited for the upcoming chapters, which cover what in the OTL would have been The War of the Five Kings.
> 
> I hope you are excited as well and see you nex time!


	20. Arya II

**Arya II**

"Within a few days, and with Cregan Stark's army approaching the capital, Aegon II was found dead in his rooms, due to a poisoned wine. No one knows who poisoned him, although there are various theories. Some say it was a suicide while other sources point to that it was Corlys Velaryon who poisoned Aegon, anyway..."

Master Cressen's words were boring her to death. Today was one of those days when Arya had to attend one of the endless lessons of the maester alongside Shireen, the daughter of Princess Arianne and her cousins Trystane Martell and Obella Sand. Obella wasn't really her cousin, Shireen had told her, but her great-uncle's daughter, but it was as if she were. The princess seemed very interested in the old master's lesson, but she was the only one. Both Trystane and Obella seemed to be falling asleep while Arya couldn't wait until she could go out to the courtyard to train.

Obara had gone to war a few days ago, so Arya had been forced to do the training on her own. Sometimes she could get Shireen or one of the other children to join her, but they would end up getting tired very quickly and they would play in the fountains again, so most of the time she trained alone. In the best days, Areo Hotah, the captain of Prince Doran's guard, offered to train with her and they did some training fights, but Arya knew he didn't fight seriously like Obara did. The bearded captain awkwardly deflected her strikes and rarely tried to dodge her hits, which frustrated Arya, as that would not help her improve enough. She couldn't neglect her training if she wanted to free her father from the hands of the Lannisters. _I have to save him and Sansa._

"Lady Arya, could you explain to us what the Hour of the Wolf consisted of?" the maester suddenly asked, getting her out of her thoughts.

Arya went blank as everyone looked at her expectantly. Shireen realized her situation and began to gesticulate with her mouth, as if trying to tell her the answer. She appreciated her attempt to help her, but she was totally unable to read her lips.

"I know that there are many things that can distract you these… complicated days.... But you have to try to pay more attention to me during the lessons. All of you. Look at Shireen, she just became a princess and she still pays attention in my lessons as usual."

"I was already a princess before my father became king, maester, wasn't I?" said the girl blushing, or at least the cheek that wasn't marked by greyscale. As her sister had said so many weeks ago, Princess Arianne's daughter was not exactly beautiful. She had blue eyes like her father and her mother's olive skin, as well as their black hair. Her face that in another life would have made Jeyne, Sansa and the rest of the ladies from all parts of the kingdom envious had a terrible disfigurement. Half a cheek and much of the neck were dead flesh and stiff as stone. The skin was cracked and scaly, speckled with black and grey. It was shocking to Arya at first, but she had grown accustomed to it as days went by

"Yes... I suppose you're right," Cressen said, stroking his bald head. "Anyway, what I meant is that, in these turbulent times, the mind is as powerful as the sword, maybe even more, so you have to exercise it. Strong men may win battles, but it is the wise men and women who win the wars. Never forget that."

Arya didn't understand the maester's words. If Cressen and Obara ever got to face each other, Arya did not doubt that she would defeat him in less than a second, no matter how wise he might be. Perhaps in his youth, the maester could have been a great warrior, but now he was so old that he could hardly walk without someone’s help. In that sense, it reminded her a lot of Prince Doran, Shireen's grandfather.

"I know you want to go outside and play, but before you do that, I'd like to show you something." The maester got up and went to the raven’s birdhouse, although he couldn't disguise how hard it was for him to travel that little distance. "He arrived a few days ago, but it's time for him to return to the Citadel, so I wanted to show it to you before he had to leave. I believe it's the first time any of you are going to see one."

The maester returned with a large white bird on his arm. Shireen threw a shout of astonishment and Trystane and Obara were also astonished at its size. Even Arya was surprised to see the size of the bird. It was much larger than the ravens she had seen in Winterfell, and, unlike them, it was completely white, like snow. The maester pointed to Arya with his wrinkled hand.

"Go!" he ordered the raven.

The animal spread its wings and flew around the room to perch on Arya's head, as if it were a nest. It weighed more than she had imagined.

"That's Lady Arya," he explained to the raven.

"Lady, Lady!" it squawked. The other children were stunned.

"He can talk!" cried Trystane.

"Yes, he knows a few words. These are not like the other ravens, they are much smarter, and they only breed them in the Citadel. Can any of you tell me why he’s here?" asked Cressen.

"Because winter has come," answered Arya immediately. That answer she knew.

"Mmm… you almost got it right. But no. There are still a few months before winter comes, even years, if we are lucky. This raven warns us of the change of season, so this long summer has come to an end and autumn begins. When winter comes, they will send us another one of these wonderful birds again."

"Then..." said Shireen thoughtful. "Does that mean it's going to snow soon?"

"Maybe, but I don't think so, we're far south, so chances are it probably won’t snow, although the temperatures will drop a lot. But who knows, there are writings describing Sunspear covered by snow, so it may happen."

"Oh... I hope so. I've never seen the snow.”

That conversation made Arya nostalgic. She wanted to go back north, back with Robb, Bran, Rickon and Jon, even if he was now at the Wall. Although despite how much she wanted to see her family again, Arya had to admit that she loved to be in Dorne. There she felt a thousand times better than in King's Landing and even Winterfell. The princess did not force her to attend dance lessons, sewing and the rest of the things that she hated so much, she only had to attend the classes of Maester Cressen and the rest of the day she could do whatever she wanted as long as she did not get in trouble. No one cared if she preferred to play in the fountains of the Water Gardens, ride horses or play with fake swords. They looked at her as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Arya, Arya!" Shireen called her when the maester's lessons were finally over. She looked very excited. "Let's fight. I'm going to beat you today, you'll see. My cousin Nymeria taught me a new move before she left. I can't wait to show you."

Princess Shireen was the first friend she had ever made in Dorne. She was the first female friend she had made, in fact, as the rest of the girls she had met during her life had preferred to end up with Sansa rather than with her. It was one of many things she hated her sister for, although now that they were so far away from each other, she had begun to realize that she too missed her. She wasn't entirely sure what had become of her. When they said their farewells, her father had secretly told her that he planned to send her back to Winterfell but had not yet received a letter from her to confirm it. The only ones who had written to her had been her mother and Robb from Riverrun, but she knew nothing of Sansa, Bran or Rickon. Not from Jon either, though he probably wouldn't even know she was on the other side of the continent.

"Let's see if you can. I must let you know I'm going to give it my all," Arya said with a smile. She never went easy during a match, even though every fight she had participated for the moment had been mock fights. Those would prepare her for when the time came to participate in the real ones, Obara had told her. That way they wouldn't catch her off guard and she would know her own limits. She was feeling a little sorry for poor Shireen. Her friend had never beaten her in a match, but she did it for her own good, she didn't want to fool her by letting her win.

They left the maester's rooms behind and headed for the courtyard. Obella and Trystane had decided not to accompany them, as today it appeared to be very hot and preferred to play a game of cyvasse in their rooms. Arya didn't understand how they could like that game so much. Shireen had tried to teach her once, so she could play with her, but Arya found it very boring. You just sat there while moving pieces around a board, not running, climbing or fighting.

"Aren't you going to change clothes?" asked Arya. Shireen was wearing a yellow silk dress which was clearly not made for fighting. If she started practicing with it, the clothes would end up dirty and torn.

"No need," replied the girl with a smile. "I won't even stain them, you'll see." Arya doubted this blunt statement enormously. As soon as they start, she'd probably stumble upon the long skirts of the dress and fall, smearing the beautiful dress with dirt. On the other hand, Arya was wearing a leather vest and brown fabric pants. Her mother would be shocked if she saw her dressed like that, but no one here seemed to care. It was not surprising considering that they probably were used to seeing Obara and her sisters dressed like that too.

When they arrived at the yard, they took the training weapons and positioned themselves in front of one another. Arya had chosen a wooden sword, with a hilt designed to protect the hand, like _Needle’s_. The rest of the sword was completely different to _Needle,_ but it was the closest thing there was among the training weapons there. It weighed more than it appeared to, much more than _Needle_ but she still managed to hold it using only her left hand. Similarly, Princess Shireen wielded her training blade, but unlike Arya's sword it was slightly curved inwards near the tip for some reason. At first Arya thought it was a sorry training sword, dented by the blows it would have received over the years, but apparently it was designed to look like this. _What a strange design,_ Arya thought. _With the sword bent she will not be able to stop the blows well, nor stab._ In addition, Arya was surprised to see that in her left hand the girl wore a small wooden dagger, a little larger than the palm of her hand.

"Since when do you fight with two weapons?" she asked trying to provoke her. "You can hardly hold a sword." Although they were the same age, Shireen was taller than her, but unlike Arya, she was not strong enough to wield a weapon with ease. She still had a lot of training ahead of her.

"My cousin has taught me. In addition, this sword is much lighter than the straight swords you wield, and much more effective."

Without further delay, Shireen attacked her, sword in hand, but Arya was ready. The wooden swords collided hard when she stopped the blow directed to her head, but Arya had no time to counterattack as Shireen was already sending her a descending cut. Her sword moved quickly to stop her, but again, she did not have time to initiate a counterattack before her companion threw another blow at her. For the first time since they started practicing together, Arya was on the defensive. The yard resonated with the sound of the wood colliding and soon the other children stopped to look at them when they passed by. Shireen kept sending her cuts non-stop, over and over again, but Arya kept blocking all her blows. When she tried to throw a thrust at her, the princess stumbled upon the skirt of her dress, so Arya took advantage of her clumsiness to throw a slash at her shoulder. However, as soon as she lifted the sword, Shireen turned to her and threw the dagger she had in her left hand, which she had not yet used in the entire fight.

Arya tried to deflect it with her sword, but by the time she wanted to do so, it was too late. The wooden dagger struck her between eyebrows and the sudden blow caused her to lose her balance and fall back into the ground.

"Ouch!" she cried when she hit the ground.

"I've beaten you. I told you I would," her friend said, all proud.

"You've cheated," said Arya furiously, with a grimace. "That doesn't count."

"Of course it counts," replied Shireen. "Nowhere does it say that your weapon cannot be thrown at your opponent. Sword technique is merely one option among many in battle. And, as my uncle would say, fair fights aren't very stimulating."

"Does Trystane say that?"

"No silly, I didn't mean Trystane," said the girl laughing. "I meant my Uncle Oberyn, though he's really my great-uncle, but he tells me not to call him that, it makes him feel old, so I call him uncle."

"Yes, it looks like Oberyn's own phrase," said a voice.

Arya turned and saw Prince Doran, accompanied by his daughter and Areo Hotah. The prince had accompanied them to the Water Gardens a few days ago, as it was apparently his usual residence, while the princess spent most of her time in Sunspear, although she used to visit them often, as the city was only a few hours away on horseback.

"Mother, mother!" cried Shireen, running to hug her mother. "Have you seen the fight? I won!"

"From start to finish, " replied Princess Arianne while hugging her daughter. "You've both fought very well."

"It doesn’t count, " said Arya aloud. "Shireen has cheated."

"In the midst of a fight, it only matters to defeat your enemy. A good warrior would have been able to foresee the little princess's movements," said Areo Hotah, impassively.

"See? If Areo says I won, then I have won. He's the best warrior in the world, so he's right," Shireen said proudly.

"Areo is not the best warrior in the world. My father is better, and Jon, and Obara. Even I could beat him."

"Truly?" said Princess Arianne curiously. "Why don't you fight them, old friend? I haven't seen you fight seriously in years. You aren’t rusty, are you?"

“If the prince orders me so, I'll gladly do it. Although I wouldn't want to hurt the little princess."

"You have my permission, captain," said Doran Martell. "But try not to hurt my granddaughter or our guest."

The old captain struck the ground with his halberd and hung it behind his back. Then he took a training axe, the biggest one he found, and stood in front of them. The axe was larger than Arya, but still seemed small in the hands of the bearded priest. He stood guard, waiting for the girls to attack him. Arya made the first move, but Hotah stopped her strike easily with the handle of the axe and threw a blow at Arya. She tried to stop him with her sword, but the force of the blow sent the sword flying to the other end of the yard. Meanwhile, Shireen tried to hit him in the legs, but Hotah quickly moved his practice axe, stopping the blow and in turn attacking the young woman's legs, which lost her balance and fell to the ground. Before Arya had recovered from the previous blow, Hotah threw her a new strike that this time she could not stop or dodge, hitting her on her left shoulder and causing her to fall to the ground alongside Shireen. The princess tried to hit the captain by throwing her dagger at him, just as she had done with Arya, in a last desperate attempt, but Hotah was prepared and deflected it with a simple movement of his weapon. In less than a minute, the two girls were bruised on the ground without having managed to land a single blow on the captain.

It was the first time he had seriously fought her, and yet Arya had the intuition that the captain kept holding back when it came to fight her. Hotah left the training weapon from where he had taken it and repositioned himself next to the prince, with his large halberd back in his hand.

"I see that your reflexes remain splendid, captain," said the prince.

"It is my duty to serve you and protect you from all your enemies. I wouldn't be doing my job well if I couldn't do it," the captain replied.

"Shireen, do you know where your little sister might be?" asked Princess Arianne changing the subject.

"I think she's playing in one of the fountains with the other kids," Shireen replied.

"I'll see if I can find her. I have to say goodbye to you both for a while."

"Say goodbye? Are you leaving again?"

"Yes, as much as it pains me to. After his recent victories, your father will need me by his side to negotiate with his enemies, so by his side I intend to be, whether he likes it or not."

"Victory?" asked Arya with expectation. "Has he taken King's Landing?"

"No, not yet. But you can be sure we'll take it soon, of that I’m certain."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Sorry for the delay in this one, things kept happening that would delay my writing and, when I had time, ispiration just didn't come. I wasn¡t realy sure about this chapter, but I wanted to show a bit more of Arya and Shireen. If things proceed as normal, next chapter will be before April.
> 
> Than you all for reading and see you next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there,
> 
> I had this idea of a Stannis/Arianne centered fic for a while so finallly I decided to start writing it. It's my first fanfic so please leave a review and let me know what you feel about it. Also, English isn't my native language so there might be mistakes here and there, but I'll try not to make too many.
> 
> First story in this site with the Stannis/Arianne tag, I'm kind of surprised, I hope it won't be the last.
> 
> I'll try to update it as much as I can, but it's difficult to tell waht kind of pace. It's crossposted in Fanfiction.net.
> 
> Thanks for checking this and leave your favs if you liked it.
> 
> Till next time.


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